Al-Farabi University College BIOTECHNOLOGY Biology Dept.

(Forth Class) Prof.Dr.Abdulwahid Al-Shaibani 2019- 2020

Abbrv. Lecture2 (4 Pages)
Gold and Red Biotechnology
Gold Biotechnology=Nanotechnology & Bioinformatics
Nanotechnology: In Greek, nano means dwarf (‫)قزم‬.
Definition of Nanotechnology “Studying the controlling of matter on
atomic and molecular scales”.
-Nanotechnology deals with structure sizes of 100 nm or smaller, and
involves developing materials or devices within that size1 nm (10−9 m).
-The concepts of nanotechnology were first discussed in 1959 by Richard
Feynman.
-The term "nanotechnology" was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974.
-Because of quantum size (‫ )الحجم الكمي‬effects and large surface area to
volume ratio, nanomaterials have unique and different properties compared
to larger counterparts (‫)نظرائها‬.

*Buckminster fullerene is a spherical C 60 that is an extremely stable form of pure carbon

Figure (1-1): Sizes of some nanomaterials (‫)مطلوب األسماء والقياسات فقط وليس الرسومات‬

Nanobiotechnology:
Definition of Nanobiotechnology ‘Creation of the functional materials, devices
and systems by understanding and controlling matter at dimensions in the
nanometer scale length (1-100 nm). Nanobiotechnology can be defined as:
Nanobiotechnology = Nanotechnology + Biotechnology
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Some Applications of Nanobiotechnology:
A) Medical applications
a) Biological imaging for medical diagnostics.
b) Advanced drug delivery systems.
c) Biosensors for airborne chemicals or other toxins.
Targeted drug delivery:
1-Nanoparticles containing drugs are coated with targeting agents such as
conjugated antibodies).
2-The nanoparticles circulate through blood vessels reaching the target cells.
3-Drugs are released directly into the targeted cells.
Thermal ablation (‫ )استئصال‬of cancer cells:
1-Nanoshells have metallic outer layer and silica core.
2-Nanoshells are heated by an external energy source to kill the cancer cells.
B) Environmental applications
-Green nanotechnology is “Using the products of nanotechnology to
enhance the environmental sustainability (‫)البيئةالمستدامة‬
-Aims (goals) of nanotechnology in environment:
1. Producing nanomaterials and products without harming the environment or
human health.
2. Producing nano-products that provide solutions to the environmental
problems.
C) Food industry applications:
-Nanotechnology can be applied in the production, processing, safety and
packaging of food.
-A nanocomposite coating process could improve food packaging by placing
anti-microbial agents directly on the surface of the coated film.
-New foods called nano-foods are among the nanotechnology-created
consumer products coming onto the market.
Nanotoxicology:
-It is defined as “Studying the toxicity of nanomaterials”.
-It deals with the toxicology of nanoparticles which appear to have toxicity
effects that are unusual and not seen with larger particles.
Nanopollution:
-It is a generic name for all waste generated by nano-devices or during the
nanomaterials manufacturing process.
-This kind of waste may be very dangerous because of its size. It can float in the
air and might easily penetrate animal and plant cells causing unknown effects.

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Bioinformatics (Biocomputing):
-Definition of Bioinformative “The field of science in which biology,
computer science, and information technology merge into a single
discipline” or “Combination (marriage) of biology and computer sciences”.
-The term “Bioinformatics” is short for “biological informatics” and was first
used in1978.
-Aims of Bioinformatics: The aims are composed of threefold:
1- Organizing data in the correct manner.
2- Proper analysis of the data.
3- Interpreting the data in a biologically meaningful manner.
-Fields of using Bioinformatics:
1- Microbial genome applications.
2- Gene therapy.
3- Drug development.
4- Antibiotic resistance.
5- Crops improvement.
6- Forensic analysis.
7- Improving nutritional quality.

Red (Medical) Biotechnology

“The applications of biotechnology in the medical fields and health care”.
Gene therapy: is defined as:
“An experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease”.
-The most common approach for correcting faulty genes is to insert a “normal”
gene into the genome to replace an “abnormal” disease-causing gene.
-Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases,
the technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be
safe and effective.
Types of gene therapy:
1- Germ line gene therapy: where germ cells (sperm or egg) are modified by
the introduction of functional genes.
2- Somatic gene therapy: where therapeutic genes are transferred into the
somatic cells of a patient.
Vectors of gene delivery:
1- Viral Vectors; One of the most promising vectors currently being used is
harmless viruses.
2- Non-Viral Vectors; Simplest method of non-viral transfection is direct
DNA injection.
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Techniques of delivering vectors:
1. In vivo gene therapy; the vector can be injected or given intravenously (by
IV) directly into a specific tissue in the body, where it is taken up by
individual cells.
2. Ex vivo gene therapy; a sample of the patient’s cells can be removed and
exposed to the vector in a laboratory setting. The cells containing the vector
are then returned to the patient.
- If the treatment is successful, the new gene delivered by the vector will make
a functioning protein.

Stem cell therapy: is defined as:

“The use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition”.
-Stem cells are precursor cells that can divide to produce either more identical
stem cells, or many other different cell types in the body.
-This capability has stimulated enormous interest in the potential of stem cells
to replace defective or damaged cells that cause disease.
-Categories of stem cells:
1-Embryonic stem cells: In a developing embryo, stem cells are able to
differentiate into all the specialized embryonic tissue
2-Adult stem cells: In adults, stem cells act as a repair system for the body
replacing specialized damaged cells.
-Stem cell therapy provides hope for a cure for patients of incurable
afflictions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and also for
people suffering from paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries.
-The combination of stem cells with gene therapy might allow rebuilding of
new body parts to substitute for old and defective ones.