Fundamental changes in plant molecular biology have taken place during the past decade. Together with the enormous advances made in recombinant DNA technology, protein engineering, plant transformation and tissue culture, plant molecular biology is giving rise to an agricultural revolution. Biotechnology is adding unique uses to the traditional uses of plants, such as phytoremediation—the use of plants to remove pollutants from the environment (1 )—and molecular farming—the use of plants as bioreactors for the production of medically valuable organic compounds and recombinant proteins and antibodies (2 –5 ).
