 the science of using living organisms , or the

products of living organisms, for human

benefit (or to benefit human surroundings)

Biotechnology intro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8PyAQ9bAPk

 2000 B.C. Chinese, Greeks,
Romans, Babylonians, and
Egyptians

 Classical biotechnology
 domestication of animals such as
sheep and cattle for use as livestock
 use of microorganisms to make
bread, cheese, yogurt, beer and
wine
 Selective breeding – organisms
with desirable features are
purposely mated to produce
offspring with the same desirable
characteristics
 Fermentation– Also known as anaerobic
respiration
 Occurs in the absence of oxygen
 Glucose is converted to alcohol and CO2
 C6H12O6 -> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2

 Ethanol fermentation: occurs in yeasts

 Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Alcohol dehydrogenase – enzyme that converts
acetaldehyde to ethanol
 Antibiotic
 In 1928, Alexander Fleming (Scottish physician)
discovered that mold Penicillium inhibited the
growth of Staphylococcus aureus
 In 1940, widely available to treat bacterial
infections -> was used during WWII
 In 1950-1960, batch (large-scale) processes
became available
https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=penicilli
 1960s
 Gene cloning
 Genetic engineering
 Recombinant DNA technology
 1990
 Human Genome Project
 Process used to isolate a gene from the DNA of one
organism and transfer the gene into the DNA of
another

 a laboratory process by which deliberate changes

are introduced into an individual’s genome

 involves recombinant DNA – a molecule made from

pieces of DNA from separate organism
 Process by which pieces of DNA are broken and
recombined to produce new combinations of
alleles

 Creates genetic diversity at the level of the

genes that reflects differences in the DNA
sequences of the different organisms

 Recombinant – exhibits new combinations of

traits not seen in either P generation parent.
independently from the main chromosome.
 Recombinant proteins –
- proteins that are produced
by gene-cloning techniques

- Cloning – growing a large

number of genetically
identical cells from a single
cell

- Cell culture – cells are

grown in dishes or flasks
within liquid culture media
designed to provide the
nutrients necessary for cell
growth
 Fermenters or bioreactors
 - are used to mass produce
cells containing the DNA of
interest
 allows gene coding for human proteins to be
inserted into bacterial cells, yeast cells, and
mammalian cells.

 the recipient cells can then be induced to

produce the desired protein

 Paul Berg of Stanford University- produced

the first rDNA in 1972 (E. coli and SV40)
 Genentech– produced the first human recombinant
protein ---human insulin (Humulin)
- Licensed to Eli Lilly in 1982

 rDNA products are routinely used to treat variety of

human illnesses
 over 70 marketed products
 more than 80 in clinical development
 Some rDNA-derived therapeutics

Product Action
Insulin Therapy for diabetes
Relaxin Induces muscle relaxation during
childbirth
Calcitonin Promotes calcium retention in bones
Dnase (Pulmozyme) Disrupts mucous secretions (cystic
fibrosis)
Epidermal Growth promotes healing of skin lesions
Factor (EPG)
Erythropoietin Stimulates red blood cell production
 what you get when you combine DNA from
two different sources.

 For example:
 plant + bacterial DNA
 human + bacterial DNA
 animal + bacterial DNA
 to genetically modify crops to insert desirable
traits from other organisms
 pest-resistance
 herbicide tolerance
 increase flavor, yield, nutritional value or shelf-life
 to produce useful proteins (insulin, enzymes
etc.) for commercial or pharmaceutical use or for
analysis
 to cure or treat disease
 to better understand human genetics
- a gene maybe transferred to the genome of
another species (or even another genus) to
produce a transgenic organism

- or a gene may be altered and reinserted into

an individual of same species
 most common are bacteria and yeast

 e.g. E. coli have been modified to produce

a fluorescent protein from jellyfish

 to produce medically important proteins

 produce proteins used in food

manufacturing
 Infection – leads to
reduced growth
rates, poor crop
yields and low crop
quality
 Plant vaccine –
contains dead or
weakened strains of
the plant virus that
turn on the plant’s
version of immune https://www.researchgate.net
system
https://www.google.com.ph
 use of Ti plasmid as a vector to transfer foreign
or modified genes into plants

 modified Agrobacterium tumefaciens are used to

deliver genes into soybeans, squash and
potatoes

 by way of electric or chemical shocks, or by

blasting them with DNA-coated pellets
 modified plants that carry genes that impart
resistance to plant diseases
 improved yields
 use smaller amounts of toxic pesticides (Bacillus
thuringiensis)
 drought-resistant and insect-resistant crops
(corn, beans, sugarcane, cassava, cowpeas,
banana, and wheat)
 Bananas – containing inactivated viruses that cause
cholera, hepatitis B, and diarrhea
  Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) – produces a
crystallized protein that kills harmful insects
and their larvae

 Bt crystals (Cry protein) – breaks down the

cementing substance that fuses the lining
cells of the digestive tract in certain insects

http://whatisbtcorn.pbworks.com/
Corn-borer infested
Bt Corn Field
 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) – produces toxin harmful to
monarch butterflies (large doses)

 In 2002, Agricultural Research Service – Bt toxin posed

little risk to monarch butterflies in real-world situation.

ib.bioninja.com.au
 crops can be genetically engineered to be resistant to
glyphosate

 Glyphosate – blocks the enzymes EPSPS (functions in a

biochemical pathway responsible for the synthesis of
aromatic amino acids and other compounds vital to plant
growth and survival)
Dewayne Johnson vs. Monsanto
Glyphosate/Roundup Case
Engineering Herbicide-Resistant Plants
 A single-site mutation of a proline amino acid at position
101 in EPSPS has been implicated in glyphosphate-
resistant weeds

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/
 corn, sorghum, cotton,
soy, canola, alfalfa are
glyphosate-resistant

 transgenes can escape

into the environment

USDA APHIS – regulates the

introduction of GMOs into the
environment
 improving crop nutrition

 Golden Rice – rice that has been genetically modified to

produce large amounts of beta-carotene

 Vitamin A deficiency – lead to blindness

http://www.goldenrice.org/
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/
 have provided with a foreign gene called
transgenes
 very expensive to develop
 soybeans, corn, cotton and rapeseed (canola)
 potato, squash, papaya, sunflowers, coffee
 China claimed that they have developed 141
types of transgenic crops with 65 in-field trials
 Rapeseed plant, Brassica nupus

Canola oil – made from rapeseed plant

can = from Canada
ola = from “ola or olio” = oil

Plant was engineered to improve oil

quality and to have herbicide tolerance;
Canola oil = low amount of saturated fats
http://discovermagazine.com/
 Cross-breeding

 mice – first genetically modified animals

- discovered the function of many human
genes
- models of many human diseases
 make proteins that have medical and industrial
application

Future of Biotechnology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4phgsnt4s
 to develop new medical treatments

 improve our food supply, and

 enhance our understanding of all animals,

including humans
 animals that have been provided with foreign DNA

 Antithrombin-III and alpha-antitrypsin – from goats

 alpha 1 antitrypsin – from sheep

 human C1 inhibitors - rabbits

 transgenic goats produce proteins used to
treat cystic fibrosis, heart attacks, blood
clotting and nerve gas exposure
 milk containing lysozyme may protect infants
and children from acute diarrheal disease; spider
silk genes for fashionable fabrics, bulletproof
vests, sports equipment and biodegradable
medical supplies
 heart-healthy milk
 rabbits make human interleukin-2
 low-fat pigs, low-phosphate manure
 extra-large sheep
 cows that are resistant to mad cow disease
 Selective improvement - by introducing genes that are
responsible for faster growth rates or leaner growth
patterns, animals can be raised to market more quickly.

 improve our chicken and egg supply;

 increase milk production, make milk richer in proteins and

lower fat content
 Herman – carries a human gene for lactoferrin
 reduction of diseases in animals raised for food.
 Foot and Mouth Disease, cholera and Newcastle disease
 mastitis – an inflammation of milk glands caused by
Staphylococcus aureus

 lysostaphin – protein that kills

S. aureus
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6826961/UK-scientists-join-
race-lab-grown-meat-Pig-cells-cultured-blades-grass.html
https://www.
youtube.com
/watch?v=R3
ZEVDjnwc4
Lab grown
chicken nuggets

https://www.you
tube.com/watch?
v=S78YRBqZFik
1. Transgenic salmon
– developed by Aqua
Bounty Technologies

– expresses the
growth protein year-
round

– applied to trout,
tilapia and turbot
2. Enviropig –
developed by University
of Guelph (Ontario)

– with a gene for

phytase

– breaks down
phosphates in the pigs’
food, reducing P
excretion in the animals’
waste
 reducing the susceptibility to disease of
farm animals

 ViaGen has identified shrimp that carry

disease-resistant genes

 University of Minnesota are investigating

genes in turkeys that cause the
development of larger breasts and are
associated with resistance to Salmonella
 pigs are potential source of organs for
transplantation

 Xenotransplantation – transferring an organ

from one species into another
 by replacing an original gene in an animal’s genome
with an inactive foreign gene, the effects of the
displaced gene can be observed.

 homologous recombination – a gene for a particular

characteristic has a specific place or position on the DNA
strand on the chromosome

 knockout - if a new inactive gene is placed in the exact

position on the chromosome as the original gene, the
new gene does not function
 allows scientists to study what effect the
original gene has on similar animals
 Gene therapy – is the transfer of
recombinant DNA into an individual’s body
cells, with the intent to correct a genetic
defect or treat a disease.

 Rhys Evans - born with severe immune

disorder (SCID-X1); affected gene is IL2RG (a
receptor for immune signaling)
 Getting Worse
- No one can predict where a virus-injected
gene will insert into chromosomes.
- if it interrupts a gene that is part of the
controls over cell division, then cancer might
be the outcome
 Getting Worse
- Jesse Gelsinger had a rare genetic deficiency
of a liver enzyme that helps the body rid itself
of ammonia
- in 1999, he volunteered to be a clinical trial
for gene therapy and developed a severe
allergic reaction to the viral vector
 Getting Perfect
Eugenics – the idea of selecting the most
desirable human traits

Would it be acceptable to engineer the genome

of an individual in order to modify a particular
trait?

Survivor of Holocaust Twin Experiments (concept of Eugenics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdgPAetNY5U
 Getting Perfect
in US survey:
40% - it is fine to use gene therapy to make
smarter and cuter babies
in Britain poll:
18% - to keep a child from being aggressive
10% - to keep a child from growing up to be a
homosexual
 The concern is that gene therapy puts us on a
slippery slope that may result in irreversible
damage to ourselves and to the biosphere.

What do we stand to lose if serious risks are

not taken?

Do we have the right to impose the

consequences of taking such risks on those
who would choose not to take them?
 founded in 1975 by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH)
 was charged with evaluating the risks of
recombinant DNA technology and
establishing guidelines for recombinant DNA
research
  an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe
handling, transport, and use of living modified organisms
(LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may
have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also
into account risks to human health.

Are GMOs good or bad?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TmcXYp8xu4