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Marker Genes As Tools To Study Deliberately Released Soil Bacteria

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Nucleic Acids and Proteins in Soil

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 8))

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18.8 Conclusions: Biosafety and Usefulness of Small-Scale Field Release Studies with Marker Gene-Tagged Bacteria

Despite the fact that the number of deliberate field releases of marker gene-tagged bacteria is still relatively low compared to field studies with genetically engineered plants, we can already look back over a significant amount of work which was conducted during the last 20 years in a number of different countries and continents. Most of these studies were conducted just to follow the fate of inoculated cells into the environment and to test hypotheses about their behaviour as predicted by fine-scale molecular analyses and soil microcosm studies. Genetic engineering has been the crucial technique to equip bacterial inoculants with a selective and/or detection marker and thereby allowed the monitoring of their fate in the environment. Genetic engineering, however, is also the most powerful technology for improving inoculants, as it enables the development of much broader and more targeted solutions than classical mutation techniques. The discussion about the potential risks connected with the deliberate release of such optimised inoculants is as important as it was 20 years ago. The experiences made with the field releases thus far are one of the most important sources of information for discussion and risk assessment on a case-by-case basis. The most important message from these studies is that no such release has caused any known damage to human health or to ecosystem functions. On the one hand, this is not an encouragement to extrapolate a zero-risk expectation for the future. On the other hand, it is a clear indication of how valuable such small-scale field releases were and can be, to extend our knowledge about the interactions between microorganisms and their environment and to develop products that contribute to a sustainable use of biological resources in agriculture. It remains a challenge for environmental microbiologists not only to unravel and optimise the highly beneficial properties of microorganisms for environmental applications, but also to share this fascinating and important endeavour with the public.

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  1. Institut für Agrarökologie, Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft (FAL), Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany

    Christoph C. Tebbe & Rona Miethling-Graff

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  1. Christoph C. Tebbe
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  2. Rona Miethling-Graff
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  1. Dipartimento della Scienza del Suolo e Nutrizione della Pianta, P.le delle Cascine 28, 50144, Firenze, Italy

    Paolo Nannipieri

  2. Institut für Pflanzenvirologie, Mikrobiologie und biologische Sicherheit, Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft (BBA), Messeweg 11/12, 38104, Braunschweig, Germany

    Kornelia Smalla

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Tebbe, C.C., Miethling-Graff, R. (2006). Marker Genes As Tools To Study Deliberately Released Soil Bacteria. In: Nannipieri, P., Smalla, K. (eds) Nucleic Acids and Proteins in Soil. Soil Biology, vol 8. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29449-X_18

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