CURRENT TREND

IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTURY

Instructors: Tran Thi Tuyet Nhung, MSc

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 Outline

1.1. What is Biotechnology?

1.2. Types of Biotechnology
1.3. Biological Challenges of the 21stCentury
1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Biotechnology is using living organisms, or the products of living
organisms, for human benefit to make a product or solve a problem

Biotechnology

Biology Technology

Historical Examples
Fermentation
Selective breeding
Use of antibiotics
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1.1. What is Biotechnology?

Fermentation

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
Selective Breeding

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
Selective Breeding

Normal zebrafish "Casper" zebrafish –made by selective breeding

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Use of antibiotics: 1928, Alexander Fleming => staphylococcus

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1.1. What is
Biotechnology?
• Based on this tree, can you
become successful in the
biotech industry only
studying biology?

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Modern Examples
• Gene cloning
• Genetic engineering
• Recombinant DNA technology
• Human Genome Project

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Modern Examples
Recombinant DNA technology
started modern biotech as an industry

• Development of disease-resistant
plants
• Food crops that produce greater yields
• “Golden rice" engineered to be more
nutritious
• Genetically engineered bacteria that
can degrade environmental pollutants
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Bacterial “eat” oil
1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Human Genome Project

Now use the link to further study the diseases involved in these chromosomes
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/chromosome
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 1.1. What is Biotechnology?
• Most drugs are developed to
combat diseases affecting
humans –Why?
• Which disease has the most
drug candidates? Why does
that disease have more drug
candidates than hepatitis C?

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
Use genetically modified cultured cells to make protein of interest

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1.1. What is Biotechnology?
Products of Modern Biotechnology

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Plant Biotechnology (Agriculture Biotechnology)
• Animal Biotechnology
• Forensic Biotechnology
• Bioremediation
• Aquatic Biotechnology
• Medical Biotechnology

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Create better enzymes
• More efficient decontamination processes
for industrial waste product removal
• Used to clone and produce large amounts
of important proteins used in human
medicine

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Plant Biotechnology (Agriculture Biotechnology)

United Nations Food and Agriculture

Org. predictions by 2050, we will need to
feed a world population of 9.1 billion!
This requires raising food production by Some solutions to
approximately 70%! better feed the
world by 2050!

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
Will improved crops that
Plant Biotechnology (Agriculture Biotechnology) are created to satisfy
world hunger reduce
available land for
• Plants more environmentally friendly biofuel crops? Discuss in
groups.
that yield more per acre (genetically
engineered)
• Resistance to diseases and insects
• Foods with higher protein or vitamin
content
• Drugs developed and grown as plant
products
• These better plants ultimately reduce
production costs to help feed the
growing
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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Animal Biotechnology
• Animals as a source of medically valuable proteins
• Antibodies
• Transgenic animals
• Animals as important models in basic research
• Gene "knockout" experiments
• Design and testing of drugs and genetic therapies
• Animal cloning
• Source of transplant organs

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Animal Biotechnology
• transgenic animal: way to achieve large scale production of therapeutic
proteins from animals for use in humans
• Female transgenic animals express therapeutic proteins in milk (contains genes from
another source)
• Example: human genes coding for clotting proteins can be introduced into female goats
for production of these proteins in their milk
• Gene knockout
• Disrupt a gene in the animal and then look at what functions are affected in the animal as
a result of the loss of the gene
• This allows researchers to determine the role and function of the gene
• Since humans are similar to rats and mice, gene knockout studies in rats and mice can
lead to better understanding of gene function in humans.

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
Who is
crime?
• Forensic Biotechnology

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Bioremediation

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Aquatic Biotechnology

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1.2 Type of Biotechnology
• Medical Biotechnology

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st Century
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in the years ahead?
• Human Genome Project
• Research on the function of human genes and controlling factors that regulate genes
• Human proteome
• Collection of proteins responsible for activity in a human cell

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st Century
• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)
• Single nucleotide changes (mutations) in DNA sequences that vary from
individual to individual
• These variations are the cause of some genetic diseases (sickle cell anemia)
• SNPs will help identify genes involved in medical conditions including arthritis,
stroke, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and behavioral and emotional illnesses

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
Example of how we can benefit from the human genome project

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• How can you test one person's DNA for many different SNPs?
• Microarray (gene chip)
• Isolate DNA from patient
• Apply this sample to a microarray which contains many DNA sequences
• Compare patterns of DNA binding between patient's DNA and DNA on microarray to
reveal patient's SNP patterns

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• Pharmacogenomics is customized medicine
• Tailor-designing drug therapy and treatment strategies based on the genetic
profile of a patient
• Do microarray analysis and then design drugs against genes that are mutated
for an individual patient
• Metabolomics
• A snapshot of the small molecules produced during cellular metabolism
• Glucose, cholesterol, ATP, and signaling molecules
• Can distinguish between disease process and physiological adaptation

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• Nanotechnology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emEua2eJp1U

• Applications that incorporate

extremely small devices
• Small particles that can deliver
drugs to cells

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• Gene therapy technology
• Replacing or augmenting defective genes with normal copies of the gene
• Still have barriers to overcome before this technology becomes safe and effective
• Obstacles include:
• How can normal genes be delivered to virtually all cells in the body?
• What are the long-term effects of introducing extra genes in humans?
• What must be done to ensure the proper protein is made after the genes are delivered
to the body?

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is emerging technology to silence genes that
are involved in disease progression

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
Stem cell technology
• Stem cells are immature cells that grow and divide to
produce different cell types
• Most stem cells are from embryos called embryonic
stem cells (ESCs) but they are controversial since the
process involves death of an embryo
• Some stem cells are from adult cells (ASCs)
• Either type of stem cell can be coaxed to grow into cells of
interest to replace damaged tissue or failing organs (liver,
pancreas, retina)

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
• ESCs can give rise to many types of differentiated cells

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1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st
Century
Regenerative medicine
• Genetically modifying stem cells of patients to treat genetic disease
conditions
• In future scientists will be able to…
1. Isolate adult stem cells from a patient with a genetic disorder
2. Genetically manipulate these cells by gene therapy approaches
3. Reinsert the cells into the same patient to help treat their genetic disease

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce
Biotechnology is a global industry
• Generates more than $63 billion in worldwide revenues
• $40 billion in sales of biological drugs in the United States

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce
Differences between a biotech and pharmaceutical company
• Pharmaceutical companies is involved in drug development
(chemically synthesizing or purifying compounds to make the drug)
• Pharmaceutical company does not use living organisms to grow or
produce a product
• Biotech company is involved in drug development using live
organisms
• Biotech companies also create products that are not drugs

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce
• How does a biotech company start?
• Generally created as a startup company with few employees backed by
venture capital investments (derived from financial institutions and
private donors called angel investors)
• Why invest as an angel donor? To ultimately have company ownership in
exchange for donating funds –get rich if company is successful!
• Takes 10 years to get a product to market at a big cost!
• Eventually startups are bought out by bigger established companies
• Bringing drug close to market = value to the company
• File for initial public offering (IPO) stock

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce
• Jobs in Biotechnology
• Research and development: preclinical, discovery research, bioinformatics,
lab safety
• Operations: process/product development, manufacturing and production
• Quality: quality control and assurance
• Clinical research: clinical research and regulatory affairs
• Finance and administration: finance, business development, administration,
information systems, legal, facilities management

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce

Based on this
graph, which
type of job
requires more
education and
why?

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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce
• Organizational structure of medium sized biotech company

which jobs look like they require the least amount of education?
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1.4. The Biotechnology Workforce

What is the best approach to landing a good job in a biotech company?

• Obtain a degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, or bioinformatics
• Minor in information technology
• Take lots of math courses
• Have great skills in oral and written communication
• Must be a collaborative team player
=>Why go into this field?

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