Download Aspects of Biotechnology

Aspects of Biotechnology
8.L.2 Understand how biotechnology is used to affect living organisms.
What is biotechnology?
It is the use of organisms and living systems to develop or make
products that are useful to humans.
We use it to make medicines and vaccines to fight diseases. (Heal)
We use it to grow our food to feed our families. (Feed)
We use it to find alternatives to fossil-based fuels for a cleaner,
healthier planet. (Fuel)
What Are the Areas of Biotechnology?
Organismic biotechnology- uses intact organisms; Does not alter
genetic material.
Molecular biotechnology- alters genetic makeup to achieve
specific goals.
*Transgenic organism- an organism with artificially altered
genetic material.
What are the stages of biotechnology?
Ancient biotechnology- early history as related to food and
shelter; Includes domestication
Classical biotechnology- built on ancient biotechnology;
Fermentation promoted food production, and medicine
Modern biotechnology- manipulates genetic information in
organism; Genetic engineering
What Are Methods of Classical Biotechnology?
Plant breeding- improvement of plants by breeding selected
individuals to achieve desired goals
Cultivar- a cultivated crop variety
What Are Methods of Classical Biotechnology?
Plant breeding methods:
Line breeding- breeding successive generations of plants among
themselves
Cross Breeding- breeding plants of different varieties or species
Hybridization- breeding individuals from two distinctly different
varieties
Selection
What is modern/new biotechnology?
Involves the use of living cells and their molecules to solve
problems and make useful products.
Biotech in Medicine
(Healing the World)
Biotech in Medicine “Working With Cells”
Bacterial production of substances like human interferon, human
insulin and human growth hormone. That is, simple bacteria like
E. coli are manipulated to produce these chemicals so that they
are easily harvested in vast quantities for use in medicine.
Bacteria have also been modified to produce all sorts of other
chemicals and enzymes.
To treat damaged or missing genes, produce medicines, vaccines
or antibiotics.
Biotech in Medicine “Working With Cells”
Insulin, widely used for the treatment of diabetes, was previously
extracted from sheep and pigs. It was very expensive and often
elicited unwanted allergic responses.
The resulting genetically-engineered bacterium enabled the
production of vast quantities of human insulin at low cost.
Biotech in Medicine “Working With Genes”
Biotech delivered the first new treatment for multiple sclerosis and
the first new therapy for cystic fibrosis through stem cell research.
STEM CELL
Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into
specialized cell types.
Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources: Embryos formed during the
blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells) and Adult
tissue (adult stem cells).
Biotech in Medicine “Working With Genes”
Gene Therapy
It is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or
prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors
to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient's cells
instead of using drugs or surgery.
Biotech in Agriculture
(Feeding the World)
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
The current world population is 7 Billion.
It is projected that the world population will reach at
approximately 9.6 billion by 2050.
This means that the agriculture industry needs to think of steps
to double the production of safe and nutritious food by 2050 to
feed the world.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Feeding the World
Sustainable agriculture combines different methods to make
agriculture both profitable and environmentally sound.
Innovative biotechnology solutions are creating crops that are
more resistant to insects, diseases and harsh weather increasing
US farm income by more than 1.5 billion a year.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
One of the first biotechnology foods was a tomato that could
ripen on the vine for better flavor and still remain firm for
shipping.
Biotech can make food safer by reducing naturally-occurring
toxins and allergens, as well as enhancing nutrient content and
flavor.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
A research funded by USDA, have opened up new options for
farmers responding to market needs and environmental
challenges.
Many new plant varieties being developed or grown by farmers
have been produced using genetic engineering, which involves
manipulating the plant's genes through techniques of modern
molecular biology often referred to as recombinant DNA
technology.
Modern Biotechnology “Working With Genes”
Genetic Engineering (GE)
It is the modification of an organism's genetic composition by
artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or
genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely
different species.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Why are plants genetically engineered?
Resist pests
Resist herbicides
Improved product quality
Industrial products
Pharmaceuticals
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Genetic engineering- artificially changing the genetic
information in the cells of organisms
Transgenic- an organism that has been genetically modified
GMO- a genetically modified organism
GEO- a genetically enhanced organism
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from
organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a
way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction
of a gene from a different organism.
Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to
improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant
diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Genetically Modified Foods
It has been estimated that 70% of all processed foods in the
United States contain at least one genetically modified
ingredient—usually a product of soy plants.
There are initiatives to require food manufacturers to provide
clear labeling on processed food products that contain
genetically modified ingredients.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Healthier Animals
Biotechnology-engineered vaccines are available for parasites
and infectious diseases. In the future, it may be possible to breed
animals naturally resistant to parasites and diseases.
Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”
Scientists are investigating the mechanistic basis of probiotic
action and the therapeutic surveillance of the gut microbial
activity related to dietary supplementation of probiotics in
chicken.
This study could possibly lead to eradicating salmonella in
chicken.
World Health Organization (WHO) FAQs about GM Foods
GM Foods Frequently Ask Questions
Link: http://www.who.int/topics/food_genetically_modified/en/
Genetically Modified Animals
List of Genetically Modified Animals
Link: http://www.enkivillage.com/genetically-modifiedanimals.html
Genetically Modified Corn
Biofuels
(Fueling the Future)
New Fuels
New designer enzymes from biotechnology labs are being used
to manufacture bioethanol, non-polluting fuel made from a plant
material than can be used in place of gasoline.
Using renewable resources such as corn or agricultural waste to
produce a cleaner fuel is a win-win benefit for the environment.
Biotechnology in Forestry
It is the traditional uses of wood products, cellulose from trees is
being used as a feedstock to the chemical and pharmaceutical
industries, currently supplementing, but in the future possibly
replacing fossil fuels.
Biomass from trees will be increasingly utilized as a renewable
energy source, as well as a carbon sink to help control global
warming.
New Materials
Researchers have genetically engineered cells so that they can use
plant sugars instead of petroleum-based chemicals to create
biodegradable plastics and polyester.
“Green Plastics” made from corn are being used to manufacture
packaging materials, clothing and bedding.
Green Plastics, sometimes also called Bioplastics, are plastics that are
biodegradable and are usually made mostly or entirely from renewable resources.
BioTuf Environmental
Trash bags
Biodegradable Zip
Bags
What is Bioremediation?
Bioremediation- using biological processes to solve
environmental problems
Biodegradation- natural processes of microbes in breaking down
hydrocarbon materials
Biodegradable- capable of being decomposed by microbes
How can bioremediation be used?
Oil spills
Wastewater treatment
Heavy metal removal
Chemical degradation
How can biotechnology be used to clean up our environment?
“Remediate" means to solve a problem, and "bio-remediate" means
to use biological organisms to solve an environmental problem
such as contaminated soil or groundwater.
Bioremediation provides a technique for cleaning up pollution by
enhancing the same biodegradation processes that occur in
nature.
Depending on the site and its contaminants, bioremediation may
be safer and less expensive than alternative solutions such as
incineration or landfilling of the contaminated materials.
What is Phytoremediation?
It is a process of plants being used to solve pollution problems.
Plants absorb and break down pollutants. Used with heavy
metals, pesticides, explosives, and leachate.
Cloning
What is cloning?
Clone- new organism that has been
produced asexually from a single parent
Genotype is identical to parent
Cells or tissues are cultured
The First Cloned Mammal
Dolly, a Finn Dorset sheep, was born on July 5th, 1996, at the
Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her birth, not revealed
to the public until February 3rd, 1997, sparked controversy
instantly, because Dolly was the world's first mammal to be
cloned from an adult cell.
The team that created her, led by Scotsman Ian Wilmut, hoped
to create an animal whose cells were genetically young again
Contribution to Biotechnology?
Ian Wilmut
He lead the team who created the first true
clone, the Finn Dorset Sheep named Dolly.
The team that created her hoped to create
an animal whose cells were genetically
young again.
However, early six years after Dolly’s birth,
concern was raised that her progressive
lung disease was caused because her cells
were already old; she also had premature
arthritis.
Modern Biotechnology “Working With Genes”
The Human Genome Project (HGP)
It is an international scientific research project with the goal of
determining the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up
human DNA, and of identifying and mapping all of the genes of
the human genome from both a physical and functional
standpoint.
Benefits of Biotechnology
1. Use to improve plants using the tools such as genetic engineering
and plant tissue culture.
2. Improve crop yield, production and nutrient value.
3. Produce pesticide resistant plant and drought resistant plants.
4. Reduce the water pollution and soil pollution by toxic chemicals.
5. Agriculture biotechnology solves problem related to
desertification and soil salinization.
Risks of Biotechnology
- Allergies
- Toxicity
- Nutrient imbalance
- Decrease of food diversity
Economic Impact of Biotech in North Carolina
North Carolina’s biotech industry is quickly expanding.
Within the state, there are more than 600 life science companies
employing 61,000 people at an average salary exceeding $81,000 a year
– which is nearly twice the state’s overall private sector wage.
In total, life science companies and institutions in North Carolina
generate $73 billion in economic activity, which is an increase of 23
percent in two years, and account for 228,259 direct and indirect jobs.