Aspects of Biotechnology8.L.2 Understand how biotechnology is used to affect living organisms.

What is biotechnology?It is the use of organisms and living systems to develop or make products that are useful to humans.

We use it to make medicines and vaccines to fight diseases. (Heal)

We use it to grow our food to feed our families. (Feed)

We use it to find alternatives to fossil-based fuels for a cleaner, healthier planet. (Fuel)

What Are the Areas of Biotechnology?Organismic biotechnology- uses intact organisms; Does not alter genetic material.

Molecular biotechnology- alters genetic makeup to achieve specific goals.

*Transgenic organism- an organism with artificially altered genetic material.

What are the stages of biotechnology?Ancient biotechnology- early history as related to food and shelter; Includes domesticationClassical biotechnology- built on ancient biotechnology; Fermentation promoted food production, and medicineModern biotechnology- manipulates genetic information in organism; Genetic engineering

What Are Methods of Classical Biotechnology?Plant breeding- improvement of plants by breeding selected individuals to achieve desired goals

Cultivar- a cultivated crop variety

What Are Methods of Classical Biotechnology?Plant breeding methods:

Line breeding- breeding successive generations of plants among themselves

Cross Breeding- breeding plants of different varieties or species

Hybridization- breeding individuals from two distinctly different varieties

Selection

What is modern/new biotechnology?Involves the use of living cells and their molecules to solve problems and make useful products.

Biotech in Medicine(Healing the World)

Biotech in Medicine “Working With Cells”Bacterial production of substances like human interferon, human insulin and human growth hormone. That is, simple bacteria like E. coli are manipulated to produce these chemicals so that they are easily harvested in vast quantities for use in medicine.

Bacteria have also been modified to produce all sorts of other chemicals and enzymes.

To treat damaged or missing genes, produce medicines, vaccines or antibiotics.

Biotech in Medicine “Working With Cells”Insulin, widely used for the treatment of diabetes, was previously extracted from sheep and pigs. It was very expensive and often elicited unwanted allergic responses.

The resulting genetically-engineered bacterium enabled the production of vast quantities of human insulin at low cost.

Biotech in Medicine “Working With Genes”Biotech delivered the first new treatment for multiple sclerosis and the first new therapy for cystic fibrosis through stem cell research.

STEM CELL

Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types.

Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources: Embryos formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells) and Adult tissue (adult stem cells).

Biotech in Medicine “Working With Genes”Gene Therapy

It is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient's cells instead of using drugs or surgery.

Biotech in Agriculture(Feeding the World)

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”The current world population is 7 Billion.

It is projected that the world population will reach at approximately 9.6 billion by 2050.

This means that the agriculture industry needs to think of steps to double the production of safe and nutritious food by 2050 to feed the world.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Feeding the World

Sustainable agriculture combines different methods to make agriculture both profitable and environmentally sound.

Innovative biotechnology solutions are creating crops that are more resistant to insects, diseases and harsh weather increasing US farm income by more than 1.5 billion a year.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”One of the first biotechnology foods was a tomato that could ripen on the vine for better flavor and still remain firm for shipping.

Biotech can make food safer by reducing naturally-occurring toxins and allergens, as well as enhancing nutrient content and flavor.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”A research funded by USDA, have opened up new options for farmers responding to market needs and environmental challenges.

Many new plant varieties being developed or grown by farmers have been produced using genetic engineering, which involves manipulating the plant's genes through techniques of modern molecular biology often referred to as recombinant DNA technology.

Modern Biotechnology “Working With Genes”Genetic Engineering (GE)

It is the modification of an organism's genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Why are plants genetically engineered?Resist pests

Resist herbicides

Improved product quality

Industrial products

Pharmaceuticals

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Genetic engineering- artificially changing the genetic information in the cells of organisms

Transgenic- an organism that has been genetically modified

GMO- a genetically modified organism

GEO- a genetically enhanced organism

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism.

Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Genetically Modified Foods

It has been estimated that 70% of all processed foods in the United States contain at least one genetically modified ingredient—usually a product of soy plants.

There are initiatives to require food manufacturers to provide clear labeling on processed food products that contain genetically modified ingredients.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Healthier Animals

Biotechnology-engineered vaccines are available for parasites and infectious diseases. In the future, it may be possible to breed animals naturally resistant to parasites and diseases.

Biotechnology in Agriculture “Working With Genes”Scientists are investigating the mechanistic basis of probiotic action and the therapeutic surveillance of the gut microbial activity related to dietary supplementation of probiotics in chicken.

This study could possibly lead to eradicating salmonella in chicken.

World Health Organization (WHO) FAQs about GM FoodsGM Foods Frequently Ask Questions

Link: http://www.who.int/topics/food_genetically_modified/en/

Genetically Modified AnimalsList of Genetically Modified Animals

Link: http://www.enkivillage.com/genetically-modified-animals.html

Genetically Modified Corn

Biofuels(Fueling the Future)

New FuelsNew designer enzymes from biotechnology labs are being used to manufacture bioethanol, non-polluting fuel made from a plant material than can be used in place of gasoline.

Using renewable resources such as corn or agricultural waste to produce a cleaner fuel is a win-win benefit for the environment.

Biotechnology in ForestryIt is the traditional uses of wood products, cellulose from trees is being used as a feedstock to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, currently supplementing, but in the future possibly replacing fossil fuels.

Biomass from trees will be increasingly utilized as a renewable energy source, as well as a carbon sink to help control global warming.

New MaterialsResearchers have genetically engineered cells so that they can use plant sugars instead of petroleum-based chemicals to create biodegradable plastics and polyester.

“Green Plastics” made from corn are being used to manufacture packaging materials, clothing and bedding.

Green Plastics, sometimes also called Bioplastics, are plastics that are biodegradable and are usually made mostly or entirely from renewable resources.

BioTuf Environmental

Trash bags

Biodegradable Zip

Bags

What is Bioremediation?Bioremediation- using biological processes to solve environmental problemsBiodegradation- natural processes of microbes in breaking down hydrocarbon materialsBiodegradable- capable of being decomposed by microbes

How can bioremediation be used?Oil spills

Wastewater treatment

Heavy metal removal

Chemical degradation

How can biotechnology be used to clean up our environment?

“Remediate" means to solve a problem, and "bio-remediate" means to use biological organisms to solve an environmental problem such as contaminated soil or groundwater.

Bioremediation provides a technique for cleaning up pollution by enhancing the same biodegradation processes that occur in nature.

Depending on the site and its contaminants, bioremediation may be safer and less expensive than alternative solutions such as incineration or landfilling of the contaminated materials.

What is Phytoremediation?It is a process of plants being used to solve pollution problems.

Plants absorb and break down pollutants. Used with heavy metals, pesticides, explosives, and leachate.

Cloning

What is cloning?

Clone- new organism that has been produced asexually from a single parent

Genotype is identical to parent

Cells or tissues are cultured

The First Cloned MammalDolly, a Finn Dorset sheep, was born on July 5th, 1996, at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her birth, not revealed to the public until February 3rd, 1997, sparked controversy instantly, because Dolly was the world's first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.

The team that created her, led by Scotsman Ian Wilmut, hoped to create an animal whose cells were genetically young again

Contribution to Biotechnology?Ian Wilmut

He lead the team who created the first true clone, the Finn Dorset Sheep named Dolly.The team that created her hoped to create an animal whose cells were genetically young again.

However, early six years after Dolly’s birth, concern was raised that her progressive lung disease was caused because her cells were already old; she also had premature arthritis.

Modern Biotechnology “Working With Genes”The Human Genome Project (HGP)

It is an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up human DNA, and of identifying and mapping all of the genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional standpoint.

Benefits of Biotechnology1. Use to improve plants using the tools such as genetic engineering

and plant tissue culture.

2. Improve crop yield, production and nutrient value.

3. Produce pesticide resistant plant and drought resistant plants.

4. Reduce the water pollution and soil pollution by toxic chemicals.

5. Agriculture biotechnology solves problem related to desertification and soil salinization.

6. Providing new medicines.

Risks of Biotechnology- Allergies

- Toxicity

- Nutrient imbalance

- Decrease of food diversity

Economic Impact of Biotech in North CarolinaNorth Carolina’s biotech industry is quickly expanding.

Within the state, there are more than 600 life science companies employing 61,000 people at an average salary exceeding $81,000 a year – which is nearly twice the state’s overall private sector wage.

In total, life science companies and institutions in North Carolina generate $73 billion in economic activity, which is an increase of 23 percent in two years, and account for 228,259 direct and indirect jobs.