Download BITC1311 Intro to Biotechnology Name

BITC1311 Intro to Biotechnology
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Chapter 1. The Biotechnology Century & Its Workforce Thieman & Palladino Guided Notes
Using your textbook and its glossary, define the following terms: (A “genetics glossary” at
http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/glassary/ and a “biotechnology glossary” at www.biotechterms.org may also be
useful.)
Genetically modified (GM) foods
Monoclonal antibody
Knock out mice
Biotechnology
Fermentation
Antibiotic
Gene cloning
Genetic engineering
Recombinant DNA technology
genome
Bioinformatics
Recombinant proteins
Cell culture
Gene therapy
Transgenic animals
DNA fingerprinting
Bioremediation
Aquaculture
Stem cells
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
Mutations
DNA microarray
Gene chip
2. The earliest recorded forms of biotechnology date from 2000 BC with the use of fermentations and selective
breeding of domesticated livestock. Describe some applications of each of these forms of early biotechnology.
3. Antibiotics were discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. How are antibiotics produced today in the
pharmaceutical industry?
4. Modern biotechnology developed from molecular biology techniques and tools discovered beginning in the
1960s. Describe some examples of how gene cloning and genetic engineering has led to practical applications in
the pharmaceutical industry, in horticulture, and in the environmental sciences.
5. What is the Human Genome Project and when did it begin?
a. How many human chromosomes are there?
b. What is the primary goal of the Human Genome Project?
c. What are some practical applications of the information coming from the Human Genome Project in the
practice of modern medicine?
d. How does the Human Genome Project differ from the Human Proteome Project?
6. How does the field of biotechnology differ from the basic sciences? (Consider the distinction drawn in Figure
1.3)
7. Over 65% of the biotechnology companies in the U.S. are involved in pharmaceutical production.
a. In what way do biotechnology “drugs” differ from conventional drugs produced by the pharmaceutical
industry?
b. What other products are made by the biotech companies in the pharmaceutical industry, in addition to
drugs?
c. In what types of organisms are these pharmaceutical products made by the biotech industry?
8. Examine Table 1.1
a. Which companies have the largest number of top-selling biotech drugs?
b. Which 3 drugs boost the level of blood cells?
9. Briefly describe how microbial biotechnology can contribute to the following industries:
a. Food processing
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b. Chemical production
c. Wastewater treatment
d. Mining industry
e. Medicine
Describe 2 ways in which genetically engineered plants can improve the quality and safety of food production.
a. In what way can they increase crop production?
b. What makes plants attractive hosts for the production of recombinant proteins?
Transgenic animals are being used as “bioreactors” for the production of recombinant proteins. Describe an
advantageous strategy for the harvest of large amounts of recombinant proteins from such animals over the
course of their lifetime.
Briefly describe 6 ways that DNA fingerprinting is often put to use in our society.
Briefly describe 3 ways that genetic engineering is used in aquaculture.
Briefly describe how biotechnology is improving medicine in the following areas:
a. preventative measures
b. diagnosis
c. treatment
Briefly describe a use of stem cells that shows promise in human medicine.
What is the difference between quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA)? In what way are they the
same?
What was the accomplishment of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in February of 2001?
a. How many genes did the HGP reveal in the human genome?
b. What is the “proteome”, and what will the study of the human proteome add to the HGP?
c. How has the work of the HGP helped in medical diagnoses?
d. Describe how SNPs can be detected by DNA microarrays, or gene chips.
e. What is “pharmacogenomics”, and how does it allow for customized medical treatments?
What are 4 obstacles to the use of gene therapy in medicine?
Examine Figure 1.15.
a. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of all biotechnology companies are in the U.S. What proportion are located
in Texas?
b. Where are the regions of the U.S. that have the largest number of biotechnology companies?
Examine Figure 1.16 and decide which of the following types of industrial jobs someone with a high school
degree, or an AS degree, or a BS degree, or a graduate degree is more likely to find:
a. Analysis
b. Production
c. QA/QC
What are the average starting salaries for people with a bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree and a doctorate
degree in the biotechnology industry as of 2000?
What are some strategies of major importance in making yourself more marketable in the biotechnology
industry?