THE ADAM'S APPLE PROJECT...

[The Cell]

The is my first Proto-genetics project, it will be altering the genetics of a Apple to be able to produce a fully developed apple fruit, without the tree. I basically intend to have the fruit grow from a feeding tube of nutrients via the root system, which is attached directly to the stem, there-by receiving everything it needs to grow a complete fruit, without the need for the tree part. Less man-hour expense, less resources used, faster crop turnaround, better yield to space ratio. I see this as an alternative farm production technique for Space travel and deep space colonization.



Rick Smith

[The Cell]

ADAM'S APPLE


Overview of the project

What is "The Adam's Apple Project"?[/b]

The The Adam's Apple Project" is a DNA Splicing Project to manipulate the genes of an Apple to grow without the tree part.


The structure of the project

Designed and conducted as a Gene splicing and minipulation project, the "The Adam's Apple Project" is organised as three modules: Gene study and minipulation, growth matrix design, and successful and repeatable yield. Each of these modules has been addressed at indiviual level and then compared. Building on the data from these modules, twelve case studies will being conducted, analysing key themes in the life cycle of the enhanced Apple strains. Each theme explored in a case study combines one or more specific application of modern life sciences, eg Deep Space Colonization food production.


Publications




Group-authored articles:








Rick Smith

[The Cell]

Summary

"The Adam's Apple Project" combines a molecular analysis of biodiversity, socio-economics and geostatistics to address the conservation of plant genetic resources and rural development in marginal agrosystems in US. To assist in situ conservation and address the relevant socio-economic factors, a co-ordinated approach was developed to define strategies of genetic management and rural development. Knowledge of genetic diversity has been greatly extended.

Keywords
Plant biodiversity, GIS Science, genetics, molecular markers

Contribution
The overall objective of the project is to promote the sustainable conservation of genetic resources in plants by:

- identifying the most diverse and distinctive populations in these species investigating gene and genome biodiversity at several levels (neutral markers, expressed sequences, maternal and paternal lineages) in plants and breeds that are unstudied and locally important in marginal areas of US;

- evaluating the economic value of genetic resources by integrating economic and demographic data (i.e. performance, management, product marketing and land use) with information on the degree of genetic distinctiveness of these breeds;

- identifying areas where actions for promoting rural development through the use and conservation of the most valuable populations have the highest chance of success.

To achieve these objectives the workplan was organized into 6 work packages.

- Work package 1:
o preparation of databases for data collection from different sources;
o implementation of interfaces that permit easy access for partners to data input and analyzes, exchange of information and real time monitoring of project progress.

- Work package 2:
o collection of biological samples for molecular analyzes;
o recording of GPS position of samples;
o collection of information on breed management.

- Work package 3:
o collection of descriptive and economic data on the breeds investigated and of socio-economic data on rural areas;
o analysis of case studies on the effectiveness of the actual application of CAP
measures;
o development of models for the economic evaluation of genetic resources.

- Work package 4:
o gene and genome analysis of genetic resources.

- Work package 5:
o analysis of all the genetic, socio-economic and geographic data collected using Geographic information science.

- Work package 6:
o proposal of specific actions capable of promoting sustainable planting and farming in areas of high priority for conservation;
o indication of management systems suited to maintain originality and
biodiversity in local populations.

Website and database
The "The Adam's Apple Project" Website (http://"The Adam's Apple Project"/) represented the core of the project. It was structured in two parts. The first part is public and designed to contain areas dedicated to general information about the project, the list of official participants and of members of the "The Adam's Apple Project" Consortium, molecular markers and primer pairs used by the project and pllant breeds analyzed, the most important web links related to the topics of the project and the abstracts of papers published within the project.

The second part, restricted “to Partners only”, contains areas dedicated to meeting slides and reports, slides of invited lectures and open communications given during meetings, full text of papers published within the projects, protocols, questionnaires and guidelines, on-line tools for monitoring sampling progress, a discussion forum and databases.


Sampling
"The Adam's Apple Project" collected a total of 3401 plant seeds from 885 sampling sites across US.


Molecular data

AFLPs
Following a screening of primer pairs

Microsatellites
In each species 30 microsatellite markers were selected with the aim of: i) covering most chromosomes; ii) maximizing the overlap between "The Adam's Apple Project" list and markers employed in other large scale projects; iii) optimizing the experimental effort (e.g. selecting markers suited to the set up of multiplex amplification and run).

Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondrial DNA analysis was conducted partially by direct sequencing and partially by genotyping.

DNA arrays
The use of DNA arrays for the analysis of

SNPs in candidate genes
A concerted list of thirty genes per species have been selected for SNP discovery. These are involved in key metabolic pathways influencing production, disease resistance and morphological traits. All these genes are candidate to have high adaptive value and to be under strong natural or artificial selection.

Socio-economic data
Socio-economic data on sampling sites have been collected through three questionnaires addressed to:

- farmer, containing sections on the identification of interviewer, his/her family and farm; on general information about the farm; on breeds present in the farm and on breeding system. Complete data on 633 farms in US and other Countries are in the database;

- region, containing socio-economic information on sampling regions. The questionnaire was substituted by direct retrieval of data from public sources.

- breeds, describing the characteristics of the breeds analyzed in the project. Data on 30 plants and breeds autochthonous from 7 US Counties are in the database;

- information on farms where the breeds are raised have been also collected. Information has been obtained for 30 plants and 23 breeds in 7 participating US Counties.

Evaluation of biodiversity for agricultural production
An handbook was conceived to review and design methods that can serve as a basis to guide conservation policies for plantstock breeds at risk of extinction [9]. It reviews the principal issues of natural resources evaluation as they apply to biodiversity conservation. Concentrating on issues of livestock biodiversity, this review illustrate the key points relating to livestock biodiversity using a number of examples taken from the literature.

Integrated analyzes and creation of maps
The integration of molecular, geographic, environmental and socio-economic analysis represented a real challenge to "The Adam's Apple Project" participants. Tools have been developed to perform analysis in a Geographic Information System. Geographic level of data analysis was set at:

- the individual animal level, to describe geographic patterns of genetic variation and identify clines in allele and genotype frequencies;

- the farm level, to combine genetics, socio-economic data collected on farm and environmental variables, also collected on farm. A specific model for spatial analysis has been implemented at the farm level;

- the breed level. In this case the breed geographic location is represented by the centroid of the "The Adam's Apple Project" sampling area for that specific breed. A specific model for spatial analysis has been implemented at the breed level;

- The NUTS III level. NUTS III is a regional unit that has some significance for US that in addition to breed priorities may also be interested in regional priorities.


Conclusions
"The Adam's Apple Project" is just finished, however data analysis and dissemination of results is only beginning. The issue of integrating data from different sources is addressed but not completely explored. A vast amount of novel information is organized and stored and represents a long lasting resource to be revisited whenever new methods become available.




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