Download Food/Biotechnology Link Station #1: Ancient Biotechnology Can you

Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #1: Ancient Biotechnology
Can you imagine life without bread as we know it?
Before 2000 B.C., the bread that people ate was flat and hard.
Then Egyptians discovered yeast. Yeast is a living organism, a single celled fungus.
Because it is a living organism, it produces energy through the process of cellular respiration
(C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g)  6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l).)
Adding yeast to bread before baking, makes bread rise.
These ancient people used yeast to modify bread, yet never fully understood how the process worked.
In fact, no one would understand exactly how yeast makes bread rise until nearly 38 centuries later
Station Questions
1. Compare Bread sample #1 (matzo) with Bread Sample #2 (leavened bread). Write the comparison on your
station sheet, be complete.
2. Why would the ancient Egyptians be considered biotechnologists? Refer to your notes if necessary and BE
COMPLETE IN YOUR ANSWER.
3. Using the information from the station description above, how do you think yeast causes bread to rise? (hint:
look at the equation for respiration.)
Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #2: Genes and Biotechnology
Do you play with your food? Most of us get in trouble for playing with food, but Gregor Mendel didn't. In fact,
Mendel spent his life playing with peas. He noticed that not all peas looked alike and that some characteristics
or traits showed up more often than others. In other words, some traits are "dominant" over others.
Mendel also recognized that many peas from the same family had similar characteristics. He then began to mix
or breed families of peas with desirable traits such as richer color, better texture and more flavor. This selection
to produce a better crop is called selective breeding.
Station Questions
Read the article for this station.
1. Describe the advantages of selectively breeding turkeys.
2. Describe the disadvantages of selectively breeding turkeys.
Gregor Mendel and his famous garden
Station 2: Artificial Selection – Selectively Breeding Turkeys for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is time to give thanks and eat turkey. The National Turkey Federation estimates that over
ninety-five percent of Americans will eat turkey this Thanksgiving. The vast majority of turkeys
consumed during the Thanksgiving holidays are domestic turkeys. For several decades researchers have
been using science and biotechnology to build a better Thanksgiving turkey. These techniques involve
selective breeding and nutrition management.
How did science make that turkey so big?
Many people assume that those big twenty-pound turkeys in the grocery stores are a result of hormone
injections. This is not the case. Prior to the 1950's a synthetic hormone was injected in poultry to produce
more muscle. More muscle means more good meat. This hormone however, was found to cause cancer
and birth defects in humans. As a result, the use of the hormone in poultry was banned in the 1950's.
Today's big turkeys owe their size to the incorporation of a special diet, vaccinations, and selective
breeding. Turkeys with the desired characteristics (big breast muscles) are bred with each other, passing
along their genes to their offspring. The turkeys are fed a diet that is conducive to muscle building and
growth. They are also kept healthy and free from respiratory and intestinal disease through vaccinations.
The product of this type of breeding is a big-breasted "super turkey". While this is the desired result for
consumers, the turkeys themselves face problems due to their bulked-up bodies. Besides the fact that
they make for a more desirable meal, the big breast muscles on these turkeys make it too difficult for
mating. The turkeys must be artificially inseminated. In addition, the mother turkey is never in contact
with her young. This means that the young chicks don't get a chance to pick up on survival skills or
behavioral clues from the mother as they would in the wild. These specially bred, domesticated turkeys
are totally dependent on breeders for survival.
Wild Turkey
Domestic Turkey
Selective breeding results in much larger breast muscles
Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #3: Early Selective Breeding
What do you get when you cross Lassie with a pit bull? A dog that bites off you leg and then runs to get help!
Seriously, scientists have been attempting to combine the desirable characteristics of different plants or animals
for centuries. Traditionally, this has been done using selective breeding. The application of genetics to
selective breeding has led to the formation of hybrids, or organisms created by breeding parents of two
different “subspecies” (like breeding a Doberman and a Labrador Retriever).
Look at the citrus sample. The Minneola Tangelo is a hybrid, created by breeding/crossing a tangerine and a
pomelo or grapefruit.
The corn we eat today is also a hybrid of many varieties of corn plants.
Station Challenge Questions
Read the article for this station. Study the diagram as well as the samples of teosinte and modern corn.
1. What similarities and differences do these two organisms possess?
Teosinte
Teosinte & Modern Corn
Modern Corn
The History of Corn
Corn as we know it today would not exist if it weren't for the humans that cultivated and developed it. It is a
human invention, a plant that does not exist naturally in the wild. It can only survive if planted and protected by
humans.
Scientists believe people living in central Mexico developed corn at least 7000 years ago. It was started from a
wild grass called teosinte. Teosinte looked very different from our corn today. The kernels were small and were
not placed close together like kernels on the husked ear of modern corn. Also known as maize, Indians
throughout North and South America eventually depended upon this crop for much of their food.
From Mexico maize spread north into the Southwestern United States and south down the coast to Peru. About
1000 years ago, as Indian people migrated north to the eastern woodlands of present day North America, they
brought corn with them.
When Europeans like Columbus made contact with people living in North and South America, corn was a major
part of the diet of most native people. When Columbus "discovered" America, he also discovered corn. But up
to this time, people living in Europe did not know about corn.
Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #4: Artificial Selection (Selective Breeding) in Modern Crops
Study the original phenotype (appearance based on genotype) of some popular agricultural
crops. For each plant, describe two traits that farmers have changed through selective
breeding. The first one has been done for you as an example.
Crop
Watermelon
Original Trait
1 Very little of the melon is fruit
Selectively Bred Trait
1 Smaller seeds, most of the melon
is fruit
2 Fruit flesh is beige
Corn
1
2
Banana
1
2
Eggplant
1
2
Carrot
1
2
Cabbage
1
2
2 Fruit flesh is red
Selective Breeding of Other Popular Crops
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Study the pictures of the original phenotype of some popular agricultural crops. For each plant,
describe two traits that farmers have changed through selective breeding.
1. Watermelon
2. Corn
3. Banana
4. Eggplant
5. Carrot
6. Cabbage
Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #5: Genetically Modifying Animals
Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes
introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. A specific gene from a different species is
added to the DNA of the modified organisms. These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new crop
traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods such as
selective breeding and mutation breeding.
Commercial sale of genetically modified foods began in 1994, when Calgene first marketed its Flavr Savr
delayed ripening tomato
Station Questions
Just last year, the FDA approved the sale of genetically modified salmon to the American public.
Go to the Google Classroom assignment: Biotechnology Stations.
Watch the video: “ABC News Samples DNA-Altered Salmon; No Difference in Taste“
1. How is the genetically altered Atlantic salmon different from wild Atlantic salmon?
Include details from the video your response.
Food/Biotechnology Link
Station #6: Medicine & GMO Foods
Here are some examples of some foods scientists are working on for the not-too-distant future:
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
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Fruits and vegetables with higher levels of nutrients such as Vitamin C
lower fat French fries and potato chips
Popcorn that is modified to taste better so that people won't be so tempted to add lots of salt and butter.
Station Questions
Read the Super Banana article for this station.
1. How have the bananas been genetically modified?
2. What organisms did the inserted gene come from?
3. Describe the motivation behind modifying the banana and rice crops.
Genetically engineered super-banana could save millions of lives
Malnutrition is a problem across large swaths of the globe, but it’s a difficult problem to solve. It’s not only a matter of
people getting enough to eat; they need to have the right combination of food as well. People in developing countries
often live on a very limited diet, which can lead to life-threatening vitamin deficiencies. Surprisingly, a genetically
modified (GM) super-banana backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation might be a key weapon in the fight
against malnutrition.
So what makes it “super?” This banana is absolutely chock full of beta-carotene, which the body uses to produce vitamin
A. That may not sound like a food with the potential to make an impact on malnutrition, but vitamin A deficiency is a
huge problem in the developing world. World health experts estimate 650,000-700,000 children die annually from a lack
of vitamin A in their diets. A further 300,000 avoid death only to lose their eyesight. By altering a few genes, scientists
have created a banana that could prevent such things.
Beta-carotene is a large molecule that has a deep orange color. If you’ve ever wondered why carrots, pumpkins, and sweet
potatoes are orange, it’s because of all the beta-carotene they contain. Some species of bananas also produce higher levels
of beta-carotene, but they aren’t the ones grown for human consumption. It’s these other bananas that scientists used as
the source of genetic material to create the super-banana.
Like everything else that goes on in a living organism, there are genes in plants that control the creation of beta-carotene.
Researchers isolated the genes responsible for this in the non-edible variety of banana and inserted it into the banana we
all know and love. A little extra genetic engineering magic increased the expression of this gene, and bam — you get a
banana that produces a ton of beta-carotene to fight vitamin A deficiency. They look normal on the outside, but under the
peel the fruit has a golden hue.
So why go to all the trouble of creating a GM plant instead of simply shipping crates of carrots to the developing world?
Health workers realized long ago that it’s very difficult to continually ship in foreign food to stave off malnutrition —
growing the necessary foods locally is much more feasible. Staple crops (like bananas in many tropical regions) are ideal
because the farmers already know how to cultivate them.
It’s the same approach that was taken more than a decade ago to create Golden Rice. In that case, scientists modified rice
to produce beta-carotene in the part we eat rather than just in the leaves. The result was an orangey variety of rice that
boosted levels of vitamin A. Rice is a staple food among the poor in Asia, just like bananas in the tropics.
The super-banana is set to undergo human testing in the US at a cost of $10 million, paid for by the Gates Foundation.
Researchers will monitor vitamin A levels in people to see if they move upward following ingestion of the enriched
bananas. Anything having to do with genetic modified foods tends to be contentious, but that’s mostly because of
misconceptions about testing and risk factors. If a banana a day can prevent thousands of deaths, it’s probably a win. If all
goes as planned, the genetically modified fruit could be growing in Africa by 2020.
Station #7: Biotechnology in North Carolina
Students in North Carolina have more opportunities in the field of biotechnology because
North Carolina is home to…
• The Research Triangle Park – area with many universities and companies doing cutting
edge biotechnology research such as UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest and
the North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Go to the Google Classroom Assignment: Biotechnology
Watch the video “Wake Forest University – Regenerative Medicine“
1. What is regenerative medicine?
2. Describe 3 tissues being made in Dr. Atala’s lab at Wake Forest University.
3. As the organs are being grown, they are bathed in a nutrient rich solution. How are
each of the following nutrients used by the organ cells in this process?
a. proteins
b. carbohydrates
c. fats
Station #8: The Human Genome Project
The Human Genome Project is an international scientific research project with the
goal of determining the sequence of chemical base pairs that make up human DNA,
and of identifying and mapping all of the genes of the human genome from both a
physical and functional standpoint.
Goals of the Human Genome Project Include…
Drug Development:
An example is a bioengineered bacteria that has been used to treat patients
suffering from diabetes. The gene that produces human insulin has been inserted
into the bacteria cells, and since bacteria reproduce very quickly they can make vast
quantities of insulin. This method is far cheaper than traditional methods.
Personalized Medicine:
Genomics is the study of an organism’s entire genome, including the DNA sequence.
This allows scientists to understand how each person’s body and how it functions is
unique. This research has led to the possibility of personalized medicine, or using
treatments best suited to a patient’s individual genes. The hope is that custommade medicine will one day be designed for individuals.
Indentifying Gene Mutations:
If scientists are able to identify genetic mutations, or gene sequences that are linked
to particular diseases it can lead to early diagnosis, treatment, or hopefully even
repair of the gene sequence using gene therapy. An example is the identification of
the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes present can indicate an increased risk of breast cancer.
Being screened for these genes have increased awareness and allowed for early
treatment options.
DNA Fingerprinting
Complete the NOVA web activity linked to Google Classroom Assignment: Biotechnology
1. Who was the guilty party in this activity?
2. Describe one ethical concern when using DNA in forensic science.