8. Genetically modified plants: Developments and industrial aspects

In the present era of genomics, the genetic modification is no longer confined to species but has rather extended across genera. The research and development in the field of biotechnology has encompassed all spheres of biological sciences, despite all legal formalities and ethical issues associated with its commercial application. Industrial biotechnology is one such field where the biotechnological process is already being used and has been applied for commercial exploitation as the genetic modification does not directly apply to the food products. The potential industries for the development and application of genetic modifications are fiber, paper and pulp, timber, biofuels, pharmaceuticals products, vaccines and other industrial oils/fatty acids. This chapter reviews some of the major biotechnological interventions in these industrial sectors.