Monoclonal Antibody Development and Physicochemical Characterization by High Performance Ion Exchange Chromatography

Abstract

Conclusions: Agriculture is the oldest economic sector in the world, and is more dependent on fertile soils and a stable climate than any other trade. At the same time, it has a huge influence on the ecological balance, water and soil quality, and on the preservation of biological diversity. Since the middle of the last century, agricultural techniques and economic framework conditions worldwide have undergone such a radical transformation that agriculture has became a major source of environmental pollution. The investigation about ecologically compatible techniques in agriculture and environmental sciences can take essential advantage from the use of beneficial microorganisms as plant microbe interactions fulfil important ecosystem functions. Plant diseases are a major cause of yield losses and ecosystem instability worldwide. Use of agrochemicals to protect crop against plant pathogens has been increasing along with the intensification of agricultural production over the last few decades. New biotechnological methods for crop protection are based on the use of beneficial microorganisms applied as biofertilizers and/or biocontrol agents; this approach represents an important tool for plant disease control, and could lead to a substantial reduction of chemical fertilizer use, which is an important source of environmental pollution. Nevertheless, despite dedicated efforts to study beneficial microorganisms, relatively few products have been registered for agricultural use and they count for a very small fraction of the potential market. This is a consequence of several limitations affecting their commercial expansion, which are mainly related to the survival capability of microorganisms under various environmental conditions. Moreover, nowadays, microbial inoculants, some of which have a historical record for safe use since 1896 (the well-known rhizobia, for the inoculation of legumes) or since the 1930s (e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis, for the biological control of invertebrate pests) are being widely applied in modern agriculture as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. Other interesting applications include micropropagation, bioremediation and phytoremediation, phosphate solubilization, soil aggregation, sewage treatment, bioleaching, oil recovery, coal scrubbing and biogas production, and represent incoming fields of application. In short, from the examples and references cited above, it is manifest that useful microorganisms of agricultural importance represent an alternative and ecological strategy for disease management, in order to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture and to improve cultivar performance. At the same time, their application is a highly efficient way to resolve environmental problems, for example through bioremediation and bioengineering. However, although beneficial microorganisms hold a great promise for dealing with different environmental problems, it is important to aknowledge that much of this promise has yet to be realized. Indeed, much needs to be learned about how microorganisms interact with each other and with the environments. For the future development of biotechnology in this field, the contribution of a combination of scientific disciplines is of primary importance to promote sustainable practices in plant production system, as well as in conservation and ecosystem restoration.