Genetic engineering of oilseed crops

Necessity is the mother of invention and has always been a vital key to the progress of humanity, with science as one of the major driving forces. From the perspective of agriculture, modern molecular genetics coupled with plant biotechnology has set a stage for the advancement of agricultural practices, delivering high quality crops that will be able to meet the changing lifestyle, global food and health demands. Agro biotechnology enables the manipulation of the plant genome and the production of genetically modified plants by means of metabolic engineering and genomics. Oilseed crops not only serve as a source of edible oils and bio-lubricants but also find their use in a myriad of applications, the most exciting being biofuels for sustainable energy production. A better understanding of the lipid synthesis metabolism and storage, transgenic technology that goes hand in hand with conventional plant breeding approaches and the domestication of plants that synthesize useful fatty acids will allow for a real breakthrough in the manipulation of oil crops for sustainable development. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.