ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am very much grateful to our Principal, Shri Narsi Lal Bijarnniya ji and staff
of K.V. No.3 Air Force Station Nal Bikaner for giving me this opportunity.

I feel proud in availing this opportunity to express our deep sense of gratitude
from the inner core of our hearts to our project guide teacher Mr.
Kanhaiya Lal Sharma for suggesting an unique project and helping in making
this project in spite of his ill health condition and giving us his skillful guidance
in each and every step of the project till the completion of this project. His
scholarly supervision, constructive criticism coupled with kind encouragement
and sympathetic attitude, really helped us to complete this piece of work. Please
make us indebted esteemed Sir throughout our lives.

I cannot forget my friends (Std.–XII students) of K.V. No.3 Air Force Station
Nal Bikaner who helped.

Last but not least the love, affection, inspiration, encouragement and monetary
support of my parents need special mention which only helped to complete this
piece of work.
 CERTIFICATE
I feel pleasure to certify that the project entitled ‘Biotechnology and its application’ is

the result of bona fide research carried out by Ms. Rennell Rath K.V, No.3 Air Force

Station Nal Bikaner, Roll No:-16 under my direct guidance and supervision in partial

pursuance of A.I.S.S.C.E. Examination 2022–2023. She has submitted it on the date

2022. This work is original and no part is submitted elsewhere for any other degree.

In my judgments, the project as presented is adequate and merits for the award of

A.I.S.S.C.E. (Std. XII) class in Biology.

(EXTERNAL
EXAMINER)

Kanhaiya Lal Sharma Shri Narsi Lal

PGT (Biology) PRINCIPAL
K.V. No.3 AFS K.V. No.3 AFS
Nal Bikaner -334001. (Raj.) Nal Bikaner -334001. (Raj)
 INTRODUCTION
The term biotechnology was coined by a Hungarian engineer Karl Erkey, in 1919, to
refer to the science and methods that permit products to be produced from raw materials
with the aid of living organisms. Biotechnology is a diverse field which involves either
working with living cells or using molecules derived from them for applications oriented
toward human welfare using varied types of tools and technologies. It is an
amalgamation of biological science with engineering whereby living organisms or cells
or parts are used for production of products and services.

The main subfields of biotechnology are medical (red) biotechnology, agricultural

(green) biotechnology, industrial (white) biotechnology, marine (blue) biotechnology,
food biotechnology, and environmental biotechnology. In this chapter the readers will
understand the potential applications of biotechnology in several fields like production
of medicines; diagnostics; therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies, stem cells, and gene
therapy; agricultural biotechnology; pollution control industrial and marine
biotechnology; and biomaterials, as well as the ethical and safety issues associated with
some of the products

The biotechnology came into being centuries ago when plants and animals began to be
selectively bred and microorganisms were used to make beer, wine, cheese, and bread.
However, the field gradually evolved, and presently it is the use or manipulation of
living organisms to produce beneficiary substances which may have medical,
agricultural, and/or industrial utilization. Conventional biotechnology is referred to as
the technique that makes use of living organism for specific purposes as bread/cheese
making, whereas modern biotechnology deals with the technique that makes use of
cellular molecules like DNA, monoclonal antibodies, biologics, etc. Before we go into
technical advances of DNA and thus recombinant DNA technology, let us have the basic
understanding about DNA and its function.

The foundation of biotechnology was laid down after the discovery of structure of DNA
in the early 1950s. The hereditary material is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which
contains all the information that dictates each and every step of an individual’s life.
 RECOMBANINT DNA TECHNOLOGY
Recombinant DNA technology involves using enzymes and various laboratory
techniques to manipulate and isolate DNA segments of interest. This method can be
used to combine (or splice) DNA from different species or to create genes with new
functions. The resulting copies are often referred to as recombinant DNA. Such work
typically involves propagating the recombinant DNA in a bacterial or yeast cell, whose
cellular machinery copies the engineered DNA along with its own. It allows scientists
to manipulate DNA fragments in order to study them in the lab. It involves using a
variety of laboratory methods to put a piece of DNA into a bacterial or yeast cell. Once
in, the bacteria or yeast will copy the DNA along with its own. Recombinant DNA
technology has been successfully applied to make important proteins used in the
treatment of human diseases, such as insulin and growth hormone
 APPLICATION IN AGRICULTURE
Agricultural biotechnology is a set of scientific techniques which can improve plants,
micro-organisms, and animals based on DNA and its concepts. Arguably the use of
biotechnology in agriculture is deemed to be more effective than that of agrochemicals.
The latter is believed to be responsible for causing environmental distress and is also
somewhat unfeasible for farmers.

The following highlight the few ways in which biotechnology has found its way in
agriculture –

1. Genetic engineering / rDNA technology

It is a technology in which one or more genes are modified deliberately in the lab. This
is achieved by the process of using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, thereby
altering the genetic makeup of an organism

2. Tissue culture
Tissue culture involves nurturing fragments of plant or animal tissue in a controlled
environment where they survive and continue to grow. For this tissue has to be
isolated first.

3. Embryo rescue
It is a form of in-vitro culture technique for plants. Here an immature embryo is nurtured
in a controlled environment to ensure its survival. This can help in the preservation of
species of seeds that are nearing extinction. This can include heritage seeds, local grains
of cultural significance, etc

4. Somatic hybridization
It is a process through which the cellular genome is manipulated through the process of
protoplast fusion
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
1. Cotton Crop

Bt-cotton plant is a transgenic plant which produces an insecticide to bollworm. Bt-cotton is

produced by inserting cry gene from bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis to the plant genome by the
help of transgenic technology. The genetically modified DNA in recipient plant produces toxin
in sap. When the insect attacks on the plant and suck the sap from the plant, these toxin binds
with the gut wall of the insect. These proteins create pores in the gut. This results in damage to
the cells and blocks the gut which leads to the death of the insect.

2. Pest Resistant Plants

Nematode Meloidegyne incognitia infects the roots of tobacco plants. The process of
RNA interference was adopted to prevent the infection of tobacco plants. The process
of RNA interference (RNAi) involves silencing of a specific mRNA due to a
complementary dsRNA (double stranded RNA) molecule that binds to and prevents
translation of the mRNA, also referred as RNA silencing. The source of this
complementary RNA could be from an infection by viruses having RNA genomes
or transposons which are mobile genetic elements that replicate via an RNA
intermediate. Using Agrobacterium vectors, nematode-specific genes were introduced
into the host plant such that it produced both sense and anti-sense RNA in the host cells.
Two RNA’s being complementary to each other formed a double stranded RNA
(dsRNA) that initiated RNAi and thus, silenced the specific mRNA of the nematode.

3. Golden Rice

Golden rice is a genetically modified, biofortified crop. Biofortification increases the

nutritional value of crops. Golden rice is genetically modified to produce beta-carotene,
which is not normally present in rice. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A when
metabolized by the human body. We need vitamin A for healthier skin, immune
systems, and vision.
 APPLICATION IN MEDICINE
Recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology is very important in healthcare because it allows
for the mass production of safe and more effective medicines. It also prevents undesirable
immune responses which are common with medical products from non-human sources.
Currently, about 30 recombinant therapeutics have been approved for human use
worldwide, and 12 of these are presently being marketed in India.

1. Genetically Engineered Insulin

Earlier, diabetes was treated using insulin from the pancreas of slaughtered pigs and cattle.
Do you think this insulin causes any side-effects in humans? Yes! Insulin from animal
sources induces allergies and other unwanted immune reactions in humans. This is why
there was a need to isolate human insulin. Insulin consists of two short, polypeptide chains
– chain A and B, linked via disulfide bridges. Insulin is produced as a ‘prohormone’ in
mammals (including humans). This prohormone has an extra peptide, the C
peptide, which needs to be removed to give rise to mature insulin.

The major challenge while generating human insulin is to assemble insulin into its mature
form. An American company called ‘Eli Lilly’ overcame this hurdle in 1983. They
prepared two DNA sequences that correspond to the A and B chains of human insulin.
They then incorporated these sequences into plasmids of E. Coli to generate insulin
chains. Further, they produced the chains separately, extracted and combined them by
creating disulfide bonds to give rise to human insulin.
2. Gene therapy

Gene therapy is a biotechnology application involving a collection of methods that can

correct a gene defect in a child or an embryo. It involves inserting a normal gene into the
person’s cell or tissues to compensate for the non-functional gene.

In 1990, the first clinical gene therapy was applied to treat a 4 year old girl with a
deficiency in the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). This disorder is due to the lack of
the gene for ADA, which is an enzyme important for the function of the immune system.
Bone marrow transplantation helps cure this disorder in some cases. Enzyme replacement
therapy, which involves injecting the patient with functional ADA, is also effective in
some cases. However, both these procedures are not completely curative.

In gene therapy, blood lymphocytes of the patient are grown in a culture outside the body.
Subsequently, a functional ADA cDNA is incorporated into these lymphocytes and re-
introduced into the patient. This alleviates the symptoms of the disorder. However, the
patient requires periodic infusions of these genetically-engineered lymphocytes, since
these cells are not immortal. A permanent cure for this could be to introduce the gene
producing ADA from marrow cells into cells at early embryonic stages of life.

3. Molecular diagnosis

Early diagnosis of a disease is important to effectively treat the disease. Early detection is
not possible using conventional methods like serum and urine analysis. some
biotechnology applications that help in early diagnosis of diseases are-

A] Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

PCR involves amplification of the nucleic acid in the pathogen allowing us to detect the
pathogen at very low concentration. Today, we use PCR routinely to detect HIV in
suspected AIDS patients and to detect gene mutations in suspected cancer patients.
B] Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)

The basic principle of ELISA is antigen-antibody reactions. ELISA can diagnose

infections by detecting the presence of antigens (proteins of the pathogen) in the patient
serum or by detecting the antibodies produced against the pathogen.

C] In Situ Hybridization

This technique involves tagging a single-stranded DNA or RNA with a radioactive

molecule (probe). This then hybridizes with its complementary DNA in a clone of cells.
On detection using autoradiography, the clone with the mutated gene will not appear on
the photographic film because the probe is not complementary to the mutated gene
 PROS AND CONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

PROS
1. Improvement in crop yields and selectivity in desired traits in plants/fruit &
vegetables. This is necessary in countries where food production is very low.

2. Developing vaccines for preventable diseases. Targeted therapy for cancer

treatment, Nano robots for cleaning plaque, for drug delivery for specific body parts
is being studied.

3. Improvement in processes used in the industry. For example, using enzymes

instead of chemicals makes the process ecofriendly and hence, less carbon
footprint.

4. Producing energy efficient fuels and energy sources.

5. Increased Food safety with anti-microbial packaging, detection methods for

contamination, avoiding food wastage by various techniques.
CONS

1. Bad impact on agriculture

Biotechnology is known to give birth to genetically modified plants which can transfer
the genetic element to unmodified crops. For example, an agricultural plant is resistant
to the herbicide. This may transfer some of its traits to weed and thus, make it herbicide
resistant as well. This is one of the major concerns that has triggered the biologists.

2. Impact on ecosystem and nature

Biotechnology is used to modify organisms, genetically, the effect of which is still not
known. These genetically modified organisms, including bacteria, can escape in the wild
and may disturb the balance of the ecosystem. This, as a result, may hurt biodiversity.

3. It can be destructive

You may not realize this, but biotechnology may also be turned into a weapon that could
cause massive destruction. For example, new medicines can be created with the help of
biotechnology, but at the same time diseases can be weaponized.

4. Biotechnology has many unknowns

Biotechnology may have flourished a lot in the last decade, but there are plenty of things
that are still unknown. For example, what will happen if the genetics of an individual is
altered to cure a disease? Many questions are yet to be answered.
 BIOLOGICAL REGULATIONS
Regulations apply to the production, sale and use of biotech products and genetically
modified organisms. GMOs are carefully tested and documented before the products
are available. GMOs should be labelled and used according to instructions. These
regulations are designed to protect the people, living organisms and the environment.
The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) is a proposed regulatory body
in India for uses of biotechnology products including GMOs. The Genetic Engineering
Approval Committee (GEAC), a body under the Ministry of Environment, forests and
climate change (India) is responsible for approval of genetically engineered products in
India. If the bill is passed the responsibility will be taken over by the Environmental
Appraisal Panel, a subdivision of the BRAI.
The bill also proposes setting up an inter-ministerial governing body to oversee the
performance of BRAI and a National Biotechnology Advisory Council of stakeholders
to provide feedback on the use of, import and manufacture of biotechnology products
and organisms in the society. The regulatory body is an autonomous and statutory
agency to regulate the research, transport, import and manufacture of biotechnology
products and organisms.
GEAC is assisted by the State Biotechnology Co- ordination Committee (SBCC) and
District Level committee (DLC). The most important committees are The Institutional
Biosafety Committee (IBSC), responsible for the local implementation of guidelines;
Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) is responsible for issuing permits
and the GEAC is responsible for monitoring the large scale and commercial use of
transgenic materials.
The biotechnology industry is governed by different enactments depending on their
relevance / applicability on a case to case basis. “Recombinant DNA safety guidelines,
1990” were released by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) which cover areas of
research involving genetically engineered organisms and these guidelines were further
revised in 1994.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
In the making of this project following books and site were referred-

1.“Basic biotechnology” by Ratledge Colin

This book covers the extensive activities related to this field like recombinant
DNA techniques and cloning. It also discusses the application of
microbiology to the production of goods from bread to antibiotics.

2. NCERT Biology (12th)

3. “Introduction to basics of biotechnology” by Mahajan Ritu

4. Applied plant biology by V Kumaresan

The book has 21 chapters contributed by notable scientists from all over the
country. The book discusses the various techniques and aspects of
biotechnology that can bring about crop improvement.
 A PROJECT REPORT
ON
“BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS
APPLICATION”

SUBMITTED BY: RENNELL RATH

CLASS:12TH SCIENCE
ROLL NO: 16
Guide teacher
Mr. Kanhaiya Lal Sharma
P.G.T. Biology
 INDEX

SL TOPIC
NO.

1. INTRODUCTION
2. RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY
3. APPLICATION IN AGRICULTURE
4. APPLICATION IN MEDICINE
5. PROS AND CONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
6. BIOTECHNOLOGICAL REGULATION
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY