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Investigatory Project: Aswesha Sarangi Xii Sci. B
Investigatory Project: Aswesha Sarangi Xii Sci. B
Investigatory Project: Aswesha Sarangi Xii Sci. B
Aswesha sarangi
Mrs
XII Sci. B
(H.O.D Biology)
Aknowledgement
I am overwhelmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge my depth to all
those who have helped me to put these ideas, well above the level of simplicity and into
something concrete.
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my biology teacher, Mr. Sandeep
Kulshesthra as well as our Principal Mrs. Nidhi Bhatia who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic “Applications of Biotechnology”,
which also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new
things. I am really thankful to them.
Any attempt at any level can’t be satisfactorily completed without the support and
guidance of my Parents and Friends who helped me a lot in gathering different
information, collecting data and guiding me from time to time in making this project,
despite of their busy schedules, they gave me different ideas in making this project
unique. I am thankful to them too.
I am making this project not only for marks but to also increase my knowledge... Thanking
you
Subhag Singh
XII Sci. B
Certificate
This is to certify that SUBHAG SINGH of class XII SCI.B of
GYAN DEEP SHIKSHA BHARATI has successfully
completed the investigatory project on the topic
“APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY” under the
guidance of MR. SANDEEP KULSHESTHRA (H.O.D.
Biology) during the session 2015-16 in the partial
fulfilment of Biology Practical Examination conducted by
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION (AISSCE).
___________________
___________________
Mr. Sandeep Kulshesthra External
Examiner
(H.O.D Biology) (C.B.S.E)
Introduction
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or
"any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives
thereof, to make or
modify products or
processes for specific use.
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN EARLY
DAYS
Throughout the history of agriculture, farmers have inadvertently altered the genetics of
their crops through introducing them to new environments and breeding them with other
plants - one of the first forms of biotechnology.
Biotechnology has also led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928, Alexander Fleming
discovered the mould Penicillium.
Biotechnology in Agriculture
Genetically Modified Crops
Plants and crops with GM traits have been tested more than any other crops—with no
credible evidence of harm to humans or animals. In fact, seeds with GM traits have been
tested more than any other crops in the history of agriculture – with no credible evidence
of harm to humans or animals.
1. Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat).
3. Helped to reduce post harvest losses & enhanced the nutritional value of the foodS
Mechanism of RNA interferences as understood is that it comes into play when a double
stranded RNA is introduced either naturally or artificially in a cell. An endo ribonuclease
enzyme cleaves the long dsRNA into small pieces of RNA. The small pieces could be mi
RNA or si RNA depending upon the origin of long dsRNA i.e. endogenous or exogenous
respectively. A double stranded RNA may be generated by either
RNA dependent RNA polymerase
or bidirectional transcription of
transposable elements or
physically introduced.
RNA interference (RNAi) has recently been demonstrated in plant parasitic nematodes. It
is a potentially powerful investigative tool for the genome-wide identification of gene
function that should help improve our understanding of plant parasitic nematodes. RNAi
should help identify gene and, hence, protein targets for nematode control strategies.
Prospects for novel resistance depend on the plant generating an effective form of
double-stranded RNA in the absence of an endogenous target gene without detriment to
itself. These RNA molecules must then become available to the nematode and be capable
of ingestion via its feeding tube. If these requirements can be met, crop resistance could
be achieved by a plant delivering a dsRNA that targets a nematode gene and induces a
lethal or highly damaging RNAi effect on the parasite.
Bt Cotton
Bt cotton is a genetically modified organism (GMO) cotton variety, which produces an
insecticide to bollworm. Strains of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce
over 200 different Bt toxins, each harmful to different insects. Most notably, Bt toxins are
insecticidal to the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles,
cotton bollworms and ghtu flies but are harmless to other
forms of life. The gene coding for Bt toxin has been
inserted into cotton as a transgene, causing it to produce
this natural insecticide in its tissues. In many regions, the
main pests in commercial cotton are lepidopteran larvae,
which are killed by the Bt protein in thegenetically
modified cotton they eat. This eliminates the need to use
large
amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill
lepidopteran pests. This spares natural insect predators in
the farm ecology and further contributes to non insecticide pest management.
Mechanism:
• Increases yield of cotton due to effective control of three types of bollworms, viz.
American, Spotted and Pink bollworms.
• Bt cotton is ecofriendly and does not have adverse effect on parasites, predators,
beneficial insecticides and organisms present in soil.
• It promotes
multiplication of parasites
and predators which help
in controlling the
bollworms by feeding on
larvae and eggs of
bollworm.
Disadvantages:
Bt cotton has some limitations
• Effectiveness up to 120 days, after that the toxin producing efficiency of the Bt
gene drastically reduces.
• Ineffective against sucking pests like jassids, aphids, whitefly etc.
Bt cotton in India:
The use of Bt cotton in India has grown exponentially since its introduction. Recently India
has become the number one global exporter of cotton and the second largest cotton
producer in the world. India has bred Bt-cotton varieties such as Bikaneri Nerma and
hybrids such as NHH-44, setting up India to benefit now and well into the future.
India’s success has been subject to scrutiny. Monsanto's seeds are expensive and lose
vigour after one generation, prompting the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to
develop a cheaper Bt cotton variety with seeds that could be reused. The cotton
incorporated the cry1Ac gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), making
the cotton toxic to bollworms. In parts of India cases of acquired resistance against Bt
cotton have occurred.
The state of Maharashtra banned the sale and distribution of Bt cotton in 2012, to
promote local Indian seeds, which demand less water, fertilizers and pesticide input, but
lifted the ban in 2013.
India approved Bt cotton in 2002; now it accounts for 92% of all Indian cotton. Average
nationwide cotton yields went from 302 kg/ha in the 2002/3 season to a projected 481
kg/ha in 2011/12 — up 59.3% overall. This chart shows the trends in yields, which took off
after Bt was introduced in 2002. The graphs also show that — and here comes ugly fact—
in the last 4 years, as Bt has risen from 67% to 92% of India’s cotton, yields have dropped
steadily.
Biotechnology in
Medicine
Genetically Engineered Insulin (Humulin)
Insulin is a peptide hormone produced by
beta cells in the pancreas of various organisms
including human beings. It regulates
the metabolism of carbohydrates an d fats by
promoting the absorption of glucose from the
blood to skeletal muscles and fat tissue and by
causing
fat to be stored rather than used for energy.
Insulin also inhibits the production of glucose
by the liver.
Structure:
The original form of the wonder cure for diabetes, these were once the only type of
insulin available, but are now rarely used. Animal insulin was originally made from
ground-up animal
pancreas tissue, and
then later was extracted
from healthy
animals
(slaughtered pigs & cows).
Humulin:
Biosynthetic "human" insulin is now manufactured for widespread clinical use using
genetic engineering techniques using recombinant DNA technology, which the
manufacturers claim reduces the presence of many impurities, although there is no
clinical evidence to substantiate this claim. Eli Lilly marketed the first artificial insulin,
Humulin, in 1982.
1. DNA coding for A and B polypeptide chains of insulin are chemically synthesised a
in the lab. Sixty three nucleotides are sequenced to produce A chain of insulin and
ninety nucleotide long DNA designed to produce B chain of insulin, plus terminator
codon is added at the end of each chain sequence. Anti-codon for methionine is
added at the beginning of the sequence to distinguish humulin from the other
bacterial proteins.
2. Chemically synthesized A and B chain DNA sequence are inserted into one of the
marker gene which are present in the plasmid vector. Genes are inserted into the
plasmid with the help of enzymes known as endonuclease and ligase.
3. The vector plasmids with the insulin gene are then introduced into the E. coli
bacterial cell. These cells are then allowed to replicate by mitosis, along with the
bacterial cell recombinant plasmid also gets replicated producing the human
insulin.
4. A and B polypeptide chains of insulin are then extracted and purified from the
fomenters in the lab. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is used to
get 100% pure humulin from the mixture of proteins.
5. The A and B polypeptide chains of insulin are mixed together and connected with
each other by disulphide bond, forming the Humulin or synthetic human insulin.
Humulin is the one and only human protein produced in the bacteria with identical
chemical structure to that of the natural human insulin. Administration of humulin
reduces the possibility of antibody production and inflammatory response in diabetic
patients. Major difficulty is the
extraction of humulin from a
mixture of host proteins present in
the fermentation broth.
Now most of the diabetic patients are treated with synthetic human insulin. Small group
of patients claim that episodes of hyperglycaemic complications have been increased
after shifting from animal origin insulin to humulin. No study till date shows the difference
between the frequency of hyperglycaemic complications in patient using humulin
(synthetic human insulin) and animal origin insulin.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid polymers into a patient's cells as a
drug to treat disease. Gene therapy 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.
Researchers are testing several
approaches to gene therapy,
including:
Gene therapy was conceptualized in 1972, by authors who urged caution before
commencing human gene therapy studies.
The first attempt, albeit an unsuccessful one, at gene therapy (as well as the first case of
medical transfer of foreign genes into humans not counting organ transplantation) was
performed by Martin Cline on 10 July 1980. Cline claimed that one of the genes in his
patients was active six months later, though he never published this data or had it verified
and even if he is correct, it's unlikely it produced any significant beneficial effects treating
beta-thalassemia.
The first germ line gene therapy consisted of producing a genetically engineered embryo
in October 1996. The baby was born on July 21, 1997 and was produced by taking a
donor's egg with healthy mitochondria, removing its nuclear DNA and filling it with the
nuclear DNA of the biological mother - a procedure known as cytoplasmic transfer.
This procedure was referred to sensationally and somewhat inaccurately in the media as
a "three parent baby", though mtDNA is not the primary human genome and has little
effect on an organism's individual characteristics beyond powering their cells.
Gene therapy is a way to fix a genetic problem at its source. The polymers are either
expressed as proteins, interfere with protein expression, or possibly correct genetic
mutations.
The most common form uses DNA that encodes a functional, therapeutic gene to replace
a mutated gene. The polymer molecule is packaged within a "vector", which carries the
molecule inside cells.
The first commercial gene therapy, Gendicine, was approved in China in 2003 for the
treatment of certain cancers. In 2011 Neovasculgen was registered in Russia as the first-
in-class gene-therapy drug for treatment of peripheral artery disease, including critical
limb ischemia. In 2012 Glybera, a treatment for a rare inherited disorder, became the first
treatment to be approved for clinical use in either Europe or the United States after its
endorsement by the European Commission.
ADA deficiency is one form of SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency), a disorder that
affects the immune system. ADA deficiency is very rare, but very dangerous, because a
malfunctioning immune system leaves the body open to infection from bacteria and
viruses.
• gene therapy
On September 14, 1990, the first gene therapy to combat this disease was performed by
Dr. William French Anderson on a four-yearold girl, Ashanti DeSilva, at the National
The applications of biotechnology are so broad, and the advantages so compelling, that
virtually every industry is using this technology. Developments are underway in areas as
diverse as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, textiles, aquaculture, forestry, chemicals,
household products, environmental cleanup, food processing and forensics to name a
few. Biotechnology is enabling these industries to make new or better products, often
with greater speed, efficiency and flexibility. Biotechnology must continue to be carefully
regulated so that the maximum benefits are received with the least risk.
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/biotechnology http://en.wikipedia.org/insulin
http://www.genewatch.org/sub-568238 http://en.wikipedia.org/humulin
http://www.biotecharticles.com/Others-Article/Human-
Insulin-and-Recombinant-DNA-Technology-70.html
https://isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/34/default.
asp
http://www.sciencedirect.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_therapy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_deaminase_deficie
ncy
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin/animal-insulin.html
Biology textbook (N.C.E.R.T) Class 12th
Contents
Introduction History Biotechnology in
Agriculture
• Genetically Modified Crops
• RNA Interference (RNAi)
Bt toxin Bt cotton Biotechnology in
Medicine Genetically engineered insulin
(Humulin) Gene therapy Conclusion
Bibliography