Introduction to

Biotechnology
Biotechnology
•Biotechnology helps to meet
our basic needs.
•Food, clothing, shelter, health
and safety
 Biotechnology
•Improvements by using science
•Science helps in production of plants,
animals and other organisms
•Also used in maintaining a good
environment that promotes our well
being
Biotechnology -Definition

One of the broadest definition of

Biotechnology is the one given at the
United Nations Conference on
Biological Diversity in 1992 as “any
technological application that uses
biological systems, living
organisms, or derivatives thereof, to
make or modify products or
processes for specific use.”
Some of these include the use of
microorganisms to make the
antibiotic, penicillin or the dairy
product, yoghurt; the use of
microorganisms to produce amino
acids or enzymes are also
examples of biotechnology.
Biotechnology
•Using scientific processes to get new
organisms or new products from
organisms.
•Large area
•Includes many approaches and methods
in science and technology
Definitions :

• Any technique that uses living 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 = 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 Biotech
nology
)

LAYMAN: Biotechnology began when humans

began to plant their own crops, domesticate
animals, ferment juice into wine, make cheese,
and leaven bread (Acces Excellence)
• 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)

• WEBSTER’S: 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?

• 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
What are the stages of biotechnology?
• Ancient Biotechnology
• early history as related to food and
shelter, including domestication

• Classical Biotechnology
• built on ancient biotechnology
• fermentation promoted food production
• medicine

• Modern Biotechnology
• manipulates genetic information in
organism
• genetic engineering
Agricultural View

• All of the applied science based operations in

producing food, fiber, shelter, and related products
• Milk production
• New horticultural and ornamental plants
• Wildlife, aquaculture, natural resources and
environmental management
Multidisciplinary
•Involves many disciplines or
branches of learning
•Includes all areas of Life
Sciences
What are the applications of
biotechnology?

• Production of new and improved

crops/foods, industrial chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and livestock
• Diagnostics for detecting genetic diseases
• Gene therapy (e.g. ADA, CF)
• Vaccine development (recombinant
vaccines)
• Environmental restoration
• Protection of endangered species
• Conservation biology
• Bioremediation
• Forensic applications
• Food processing (cheese, beer)
 Transfer of new Anti-cancer drugs
Culture of plants
genes into animal from single cells Diagnostics
organisms

Cell Monoclonal
Culture Antibodies
Crime solving
Molecular
Biology

DNA Tracers
technology Genetic
Engineering
Synthesis of
Banks of Cloning specific DNA
DNA, RNA Synthesis
probes
and proteins of new Mass prodn. of
proteins human proteins
Complete Localisation of
New types of Resource bank
map of the genetic disorders
plants and for rare human
human
animals chemicals
genome
New
New types antibiotics
of food Gene therapy
Organismic Biotech
•Working with complete, intact
organisms or their cells
•Organisms are not genetically
changed with artificial means
Organismic Biotech
•Help the organism live better or
be more productive
•Goal – improve organisms and
the conditions in which they
grow
Organismic Biotech
•Study and use natural genetic
variations
•Cloning is an example of
organismic biotech
Cloning
•Process of producing a new
organism from cells or tissues of
existing organism.
•1997 cloned sheep – “Dolly” in
Edinburgh Scotland
Molecular Biotech
•Changing the genetic make-up of an
organism
•Altering the structure and parts of cells
•Complex!
•Uses genetic engineering, molecular
mapping and similar processes
Genetic Engineering
•Changing the genetic
information in a cell
•Specific trait of one organism
may be isolated,cut, and moved
into the cell of another organism
Transgenic
•Results of Gen. Eng. Are said
to be “transgenic”
•Genetic material in an
organism has been altered
Biotech examples
Medicine
Agriculture
Environment
Forestry
Food and beverage processing
Medicine
Some new developments
delve into the hereditary
material of humans known as
gene therapy
Medicine
Therapeutant - product used to
maintain health or prevent disease
Biopharmaceuticals – drug or
vaccine developed through
biotechnology
Called designer drugs
Medicine
Biopharming – production of
pharmaceuticals in cultured
organisms
Combination of the agriculture
and pharmaceutical industries
Medicine
Certain blood – derived
products needed in human
medicine can be produced in
the milk of goats
Environment
Any biotechnological process that
may promote a good environment
Organisms developed during the
gulf war to “eat” oil
Organism used in gold mining to
“eat” contaminants
Environmental
Problems naturally solved by
microorganisms such as
bacteria, fungi break down
contaminant into a form less
harmful or not harmful
Ag and Forestry
Plant biotech
Animal biotech
Plant biotech
Improve plants and the products
produced from them
Insect and disease resistance
Engineered to have desired
characteristics
Plant biotech
Corn plant produced with
high levels of the amino acid
Lysine
Animal Biotech
Improve animals or the
products they produce
Animals may be used to
produce products that
promote human health
Animal Biotech
Increase productivity
Pigs engineered to produce
human hemoglobin
Food and Beverages
Use of technology in production and
processing
Some biotech principles have been
employed for hundreds of years (Yeast
in baking bread)
Genetically altered crops
rBGH milk
Biotechnology

 Helps meet human needs -Food, clothing and shelter

 Plants and animals are used in manufacturing food, clothing and
materials for shelter.
 Used to make products more useful or desirable
 Ex: conversion of milk into cheese or yogurt
Efficiency
 Must keep the cost of improving products as low as possible
 Biotech results in greater efficiency.
 Inoculating legume seeds with bacteria that allow the plant to pull
nitrogen out of the air and put it into the soil - Saves the producer
the cost of applying N fertilizer.
 Results in trees that grow faster and produce wood that is more
desirable.
Greater Production
Increases yields
bST use in cows to produce
more milk
Higher crop yields from drought,
disease & insect resistant crops
Health Promoting Foods

Food with unique traits

Some contain therapeutants
Some designed with nutrient
enrichment
Safety
Consumers want foods to
provide needed nutrients and in
some cases, enhanced foods
Do not want side effects from
those enhanced foods
Easy preparation
Flavr-Savr Tomato
Reached the market in early 1990’s
Engineered to have a longer shelf life
Flavr-Savr - No soft spots ; No
rotten spots; Tomato resists spoilage.
Synthetic biology
Creating lifelike characteristics through
the use of chemicals
Based on creating structures similar to
those found in living organisms
Need for synthetic cells lead to the
development of the vesicle
Vesicle – tiny rounded structure with
cell like traits
Vesicle
Tiny structures similar to soap bubbles
were created to serve as the cell
membrane
Visible only with powerful microscope
Once the cell membrane has been
successfully developed, development
of the materials within the cell is
initiated.
Synthetic biology
Is important because it brings
science closer to creating life in
the lab
Cells and tissues may be
developed to treat human injury
and disease