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Intro To Biotechnology
Intro To Biotechnology
1. What is Biotechnology?
Definitions of Biotechnology
Timeline of Biotechnology
Techniques used in Biotechnology
Who's Who in Biotechnology
What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology = bios (life) + logos (study of or essence)
Literally the study of tools from living things
CLASSIC: The word "biotechnology" was first used in 1917
to describe processes using living organisms to make a
product or run a process, such as industrial fermentations.
(Robert Bud, The Uses of Life: A History of Biotechnology)
LAYMAN: Biotechnology began when humans began to
plant their own crops, domesticate animals, ferment juice
into wine, make cheese, and leaven bread
(AccesExcellence)
What is biotechnology?
GENENTECH: Biotechnology is the process of harnessing
'nature's own' biochemical tools to make possible new products
and processes and provide solutions to society's ills (G. Kirk
Raab, Former President and CEO of Genentech)
WEBSTERS: The aspect of technology concerned with the
application of living organisms to meet the needs and ends of
man.
WALL STREET: Biotechnology is the application of genetic
engineering and DNA technology to produce therapeutic and
medical diagnostic products and processes. Biotech companies
have one thing in common - the use of genetic engineering and
manipulation of organisms at a molecular level.
What is biotechnology?
Using scientific methods with organisms to produce
new products or new forms of organisms
Any technique that uses living organisms or
substances from those organisms or substances from
those organisms to make or modify a product, to
improve plants or animals, or to develop
microorganisms for specific uses
What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinarian in nature,
involving input from
Engineering
Computer Science
Cell and Molecular Biology
Microbiology
Genetics
Physiology
Biochemistry
Immunology
Virology
Recombinant DNA Technology Genetic manipulation
of bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants and animals, often for
the development of specific products
Ancient biotechnology
History of domestication and agriculture
Paleolithic society Hunter-gatherers Nomadic lifestyle due to migratory
animals and edible plant distribution (wild wheat and barley) (~2 x 10 6 yrs.)
Followed by domestication of plants and animals (artificial selection) People
settled, sedentary lifestyles evolved (~10,000 yrs. ago)
Cultivation of wheat, barley and rye (seed collections)
Sheep and goats milk, cheese, button and meat
Grinding stones for food preparation
New technology Origins of Biotechnology Agrarian Societies
History of domestication and agriculture History of domestication and agriculture History of domestication
and agriculture
Ancient biotechnology
Fermented foods and beverages
Long history of fermented foods since people
began to settle (9000 BC) (fervere to boil)
Often discovered by accident!
Improved flavor and texture
Deliberate contamination with bacteria or
fungi (molds)
Examples:
Bread
Yogurt
Sour cream
Cheese
Wine
Beer
Sauerkraut
Ancient biotechnology
Fermented foods and beverages
Dough not baked immediately would undergo
spontaneous fermentation would rise
Eureka!!
Uncooked fermented dough could be used to
ferment a new batch no longer reliant on
chance fermentation
1866 Louis Pasteur published his findings on
the direct link between yeast and sugars CO2 +
ethanol (anaerobic process)
1915 Production of bakers yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Classical biotechnology
Industry today exploits early discoveries of the fermentation
process for production of huge numbers of products
Different types of beer
Vinegar
Glycerol
Acetone
Butanol
Lactic acid
Citric acid
Antibiotics WWII (Bioreactor developed for large
scale production, e.g. penicilin made by fermentation
of penicillium)
Today many different antibiotics are produced by
microorganisms
Cephalosporins, bacitracin, neomycin,
tetracycline..)
Classical biotechnology
Chemical transformations to produce therapeutic
products
Substrate + Microbial Enzyme Product
Examples:
Cholesterol Steroids (cortisone, estrogen,
progesterone) (hydroxylation reaction -OH
group added to cholesterol ring)
Classical biotechnology
Microbial synthesis of other commercially valuable
products
Amino acids to improve food taste, quality or
preservation
Enzymes (cellulase, collagenase, diastase,
glucose isomerase, invertase, lipase, pectinase,
protease)
Vitamins
Pigments
Modern biotechnology
Cell biology
Structure, organization and reproduction
Biochemistry
Synthesis of organic compounds
Cell extracts for fermentation (enzymes
versus whole cells)
Genetics
Modern biotechnology
Molecular Biology
Beadle and Tatum (Neurospora crassa)
One gene, one enzyme hypothesis
Charles Yanofsky colinearity
between mutations in genes and amino
acid sequence (E. coli)
Genes determine structure of proteins
Hershey and Chase 1952
T2 bacteriophage 32P DNA, not 35S protein
is the material that encodes genetic
information
Modern biotechnology
Watson, Crick, Franklin and Wilkins (1953)
X-ray crystallography
1962 Nobel Prize awarded to three men
Chargaff DNA base ratios
Structural model of DNA developed
Modern biotechnology
Breaking the Genetic Code Finding the Central
Dogma
An RNA Club organized by George Gamow (1954)
assembled to determine the role of RNA in protein
synthesis
Vernon Ingrams research on sickle cell anemia (1956)
tied together inheritable diseases with protein structure
Link made between amino acids and DNA
Modern biotechnology
DNA
Transcription
RNA
Protein
Translation
Environment
Agriculture
Food products
Industry and manufacturing
Transfer of new
genes into animal
organisms
Diagnostics
Cell
Culture
Monoclonal
Antibodies
Crime solving
Molecular
Biology
DNA
technology
Tracers
Genetic
Engineering
Banks of
DNA, RNA
and proteins
Complete
map of the
human
genome
Anti-cancer drugs
Culture of plants
from single cells
Synthesis
of new
proteins
Mass prodn. of
human proteins
Resource bank
for rare human
chemicals
New types of
plants and
animals
New types
of food
Cloning
New
antibiotics
Synthesis of
specific DNA
probes
Localisation of
genetic disorders
Gene therapy
Biotechnology Timeline
1750 BC
500 BC
1590
1675
1830
1833
1855
Biotechnology Timeline
1859
1864
1865
1902
Biotechnology Timeline
1910
Chromosomal theory of
inheritance proved
1928
1941
1949
Biotechnology Timeline
1952
1953
unravelled
1967
1973
Recombinant DNA
technology begins
1975
Biotechnology Timeline
1975
1975
Monoclonal antibody
technology introduced
1978
1978
1978
Biotechnology Timeline
1989
1990
1990
1993
1994
Biotechnology Timeline
1996
1990s
1996
Development of Affymetrix
GeneChip
1997
History of Biotechnology
1998
1999
2000
2001
Discussion
What is the societal impression of biotechnology?
What are the negative impacts that biotechnology may have?
What are the potential ethical issues associated with
biotechnology?
Why
are
biotechnology
companies
targeted
by
anti-
globalisation protesters?
How can the image of biotechnology to the public be
improved? Should it be improved?
What are the potential dangers of biotechnology?