Professional Documents
Culture Documents
History of Biotechnology
History of Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Stages of Biotech
Ancient
Classical
Modern
Ancient Biotech
Begins with early
civilization
Developments in ag and
food production
Few records exist
Ancient Biotech
Archeologists research
Ancient carvings and
sketches sources of
information
Classical Biotech
Follows ancient
Makes wide spread use of
methods from ancient,
especially fermentation
Methods adapted to
industrial production
Classical Biotech
Produce large quantities of
food products and other
materials in short amount of
time
Meet demands of increasing
population
Classical Biotech
Many methods developed
through classical biotech
are widely used today.
Modern Biotech
Manipulation of genetic
material within organisms
Based on genetics and the
use of microscopy,
biochemical methods,
related sciences and
technologies
Modern Biotech
Often known as genetic
engineering
Roots involved the
investigation of genes
Ancient Biotech
Not known when biotech
began exactly
Focused on having food
and other human needs
Ancient Biotech
Useful plants brought from
the wild, planted near caves
where people lived
As food was available, ability
to store and preserve
emerged
Ancient
Food preservation most
likely came from
unplanned events such as
a fire or freeze
Domestication
15,000 years ago, large
animals were hard to capture
People only had meat when
they found a dead animal
Came up with ways of
capturing fish and small
animals
Domestication
Food supplies often
seasonal
Winter food supplies may
get quite low
Domestication is seen by
scientists as the beginning of
biotech
Domestication
Adaptation of organisms
so they can be cultured
Most likely began 11,000
– 12,000 years ago in the
middle east
Domestication
Involved the collecting of
seed from useful plants and
growing crude crops from
that seed
Involved the knowledge that
the seed had to properly
mature
Domestication
Proper planting
Need for water, light and
other conditions for plant
growth
Earliest plants likely grains
and other seeds used for
food
Domestication
Raising animals in captivity
began about the same time
in history
Easier to have an animal
close by that to hunt and
capture a wild one
Domestication
Learned that animals
need food and water
Learned about simple
breeding
How to raise young
Domestication
Cattle,goats and sheep
were the first
domesticated food animals
Domestication
About 10,000 years ago,
people had learned enough
about plants and animals to
grow their own food
The beginning of farming.
Food
Domestication resulted in
food supplies being greater
in certain times of the year
Products were gathered and
stored
Food
Some foods rotted
Others changed form and
continued to be good to eat
Foods stored in a cool cave
did not spoil as quickly
Food
Foods heated by fire also
did not spoil as quickly
Immersing in sour liquids
prevented food decay
Food preservation
Using processes that
prevent or slow spoilage
Heating, cooling, keeps
microorganisms (mo’s)
from growing
Food preservation
Stored in bags of leather or jars
of clay
Fermentation occurs if certain
mo’s are present
Creates an acid condition that
slows or prevents spoilage
Cheese
One of the first food
products made through
biotechnology
Began some 4,000 years
ago
Nomadic tribes in Asia
Cheese
Strains of bacteria were
added to milk
Caused acid to form
Resulting in sour milk
Cheese
Enzyme called “rennet” was
added
Rennet comes from the
lining of the stomachs of
calves
Cheese
Rennet is genetically
engineered today
Not all cheese is made from
produced rennet
Yeast
Long used in food
preparation and preservation
Bread baking
Yeast produces a gas in the
dough causing the dough to
rise
Yeast
Fermented products
Vinegar
Require the use of yeast in
at least one stage of
production
Yeast
Speciesof fungi
Some are useful
Some may cause diseases
Vinegar
Ancient product used to
preserve food
Juices and extracts from
fruits and grains can be
fermented
Fermentation
Process in which yeast
enzymes chemically change
compounds into alcohol
In making vinegar the first
product of fermentation is
alcohol
Fermentation
Alcohol is converted to acetic
acid by additional microbe
activity
Acid gives vinegar a sour taste
Vinegar prevents growth of
some bacteria
Vinegar
Keeps foods from spoiling
Used in pickling
Biblical references to wine
indicate the use of
fermentation some 3,000
years ago
Fermentation control
In ancient times, likely
happened by accident
Advancements occurred in
the 1800’s and early 1900’s
Fermenters
Used to advance
fermentation process
Specially designed chamber
that promotes fermentation
Fermenters
Allowed better control,
especially with vinegar
New products such as
glycerol, acetone, and citric
acid resulted
Development
Of yeasts that were
predictable and readily
available led to modern
baking industry
Antibiotics
Use of fermentation
hastened the development of
antibiotics
A drug used to combat
bacterial infections
Antibiotics
Penicillin
Developed in the late1920’s
Introduced in the 1940’s
First drug produced
by microbes
Antibiotics
Many kinds available today
Limitations in their use keep
disease producing
organisms from developing
immunity to antibiotics
Antibiotics
Use antibiotics only when
needed.
Overuse may make the
antibiotic ineffective when
really needed later
Antibiotics
Some disease organisms
are now resistant to certain
antibiotics
Used in both human and vet
medicine
Modern Biotech
Deals with manipulating genetic
info
Microscopy and advanced
computer technology are used
In-depth knowledge of science
Modern Biotech
Based on genetics research
from the mid 1800’s
Genetics
Study of heredity
Most work has focused on
animal and plant genetics
Genes – determiners of
heredity
Genes
Carry the genetic code
Understanding genetic
structure essential for
genetic engineering
Heredity
How traits are passed from
parents to offspring
Members of the same
species pass the
characteristics of that
species
Heredity
Differences exist within each
species.
Differences are known as
variability
Heredity &variability
Are used in modern
biotechnology
Modern Biotech
Use of biotech to produce
new life forms
Emerged in mid 1900’s
Made possible by rDNA
technology
rDNA
Recombinant DNA Process
Genetic material is moved
from one organism to
another
Materials involved are quite
small
rDNA
Challenging and often
controversial
Many have opposing or
negative views of
biotechnolgy
People in Biotech
Zacharias Janssen
Discovered the principle of
the compound microscope in
1590
Dutch eye glass maker
Anton Van
Leeuwenhoek
Developed single lens
microscope in 1670’s
First to observe tiny
organisms and document
observations
Anton V.L.
Work led to modern
microscopes
Electron microscope
developed in 1931 by group
of German scientists
Gregor Mendel
Formulated basic laws of
heredity during mid 1800’s
Austrian Botanist and monk
Experimented with peas
Mendel
Studied inheritance of seven
pairs of traits
Bred and crossbred thousands
of plants
Determined that some traits
were dominant and other
recessive
Mendel
Findings were published in
1866
Largely ignored for 34 years
Johan Friedrich
Miescher
Swiss Biologist
Isolated nuclei of white blood
cells in 1869
Led to identification of
nucleic acid by Walter
Flemming
Walter Sutton
Determined in 1903 that
chromosomes carried units of
heredity identified by Mendel
Named “genes” in 1909 by
Wilhelm Johannsen, Danish
Botanist
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Studied genetics of fruit flies
Early 1900’s
Experimented with eye color
His work contributed to the
knowledge of X and Y
chromosomes
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Nobel Peace Prize in 1933
for research in gene theory
Ernst Ruska
Buildthe first electron
microscope in 1932
German electrical engineer
Microscope offered 400X
magnification
Alexander Fleming
Discovered penicillin in 1928
First antibiotic drug used in
treating human disease
Observed growth of molds
(Penicillium genus) in a dish
that also contracted bacteria
Alexander Fleming
Bacteria close to the molds
were dead
Extracting and purifying the
molds took a decade of
research
Penicillin first used in 1941
Alexander Fleming
Penicillincredited with
saving many lives during
WWII when wounded
soldiers developed
infections.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin
Research in France and
England in mid 1900’s
Led to discovery of structure
of DNA
Her early research was used
to produce an atomic bomb
Rosalind Franklin
Setup X ray diffraction lab
Photographs of DNA
showed that it could have a
double helix structure
Rosalind Franklin
Some questions surround
the theft of her work in 1952
Including x ray photographs
Watson and Crick
James Watson
Francis Crick
Collaborated to produce the
first model of DNA structure
in 1953
Watson and Crick
Described DNA dimensions
and spacing of base pairs
Had major impact on genetic
engineering carried out today
Watson
Born in the US
Crick – born in England
Collaborative research at
Cambridge University in
England
Norman E. Borlaug
Developed wheat varieties
producing high yields
Research in Mexico
Semi dwarf varieties
Developed wheat variety that would
grow in climates where other
varieties would not
Borlaug
Nobel Peace Prize in 1971
Credited with helping relieve
widespread hunger in some
nations
Mary Clare King
Research into nature of DNA
during late 1900’s
Determined that 99% of
human DNA is identical to
chimpanzee
Mary Clare King
1975 found similar gene
pools between humans and
chimpanzee made it possible
to research hereditary
causes of breast cancer
Ian Wilmut
Cloning of a sheep named
Dolly in 1997
Produced from tissue of an
adult sheep
Previous cloning efforts had
been from early embryos
Research
Use of systematic methods
to answer questions.
Problems may be basic or
applied
Basic
Require generating new info
to gain understanding
Applied – involve use of
knowledge already acquired.
Research
Supplies facts that can be
used to improve a process or
product
Settings range from
elaborate labs to field plots
Field Plot
Small area of land that is
used to test questions or
hypothesis
Belief is that same result
would be obtained if carried
out on larger scale
Field Plots
Often
tested several times
Known as replication
Research
Done by agencies, universities,
private companies, individuals
Biotech research in ag is
carried out by ag experiment
stations and large corporations
Development
Creation of new products or
methods based on findings
of research
Carefully studied before
being put into full scale use
Development
New products tested before
approval
Government agencies such as
the FDA are involved
Prototype is developed –
research model that is carefully
tested
Prototype
Becomes a pattern for the
production of similar
products
After being fully tested, full
scale production begins.