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翻译以下论文中的红色字体部分： TRANSGENIC PLANTS, THEN AND NOW: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE David W. Ow1 INTRODUCTION Although I was asked to give a talk on transgenic plants and issues concerning genetically modified organisms (GMOs), I decided that this was too broad a topic. I would only be qualified to describe a few examples of the transgenic plants that have been a part of my research. I chose these examples only becauseof my familiarity with them, nothing more. Hence, this article should not be considered a comprehensive review on the achievements in this field or as a definitive view on GMO issues. MAKING A PLANT GLOW My first attempt at making a transgenic plant was in 1985, when I was a postdoctoral fellow with Stephen Howell at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Through collaboration with Don Helinski and Marlene DeLuca, we had obtained a gene from the firefly that encoded luciferase, the enzyme that makes fireflies glow. We found that the gene could produce functional luciferase in carrot protoplasts, which prompted us to test the tantalizing possibility of creating a plant that could emit light. At the time, plant gene transfer was in its infancy, with the first success reported in 1983. Following the sketchy descriptions of the technique in that report, we made our first transgenic plant. The tobacco plant was able to emit light with sufficient output to be captured by overnight exposure on film (Ow et al., 1986). The photo had an eerie, ò sci-fi ó feel to it (Fig. 1). We managed to make four posters before UCSD copyrighted it, not that any of us would think of selling our posters. The news that a plant could glow lit a fire in the news. Today, this photo is found in numerous textbooks, and the luciferase gene has proved to be a valuable tool in research. The photo, being an icon of plant genetic engineering, also received its share of criticism. There was not much opposition to transgenic technology back then, but signs were emerging. I experienced my fi