D.

Magda Abd-Elgawad

BIOTECHNOLOGY OF NATURAL
PRODUCTS
 Lecture 1
AN INTRODUCTION TO
BIOTECHNOLOGY
 HISTORY
• The term biotechnology was coined in
1919 by Hungarian agricultural engineer
Karl Ereky, to describe a process for
large scale production of pigs.
• He foresaw a time when biology could
be used for turning raw materials into
useful products.
• He coined the term biotechnology to
describe that merging of biology and
technology.
 BIOTECHNOLOGY
“Any technique that uses living organisms or
substances from living organisms to make or
modify a product, to improve plants or
animals, or to develop micro-organisms for
specific uses”.

.
 WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?
• Term Biotechnology derived from fusion of biology and
technology.

• Biotechnology can be broadly defined as "using organisms or their

products for commercial purposes."

• “ The Controlled use of biological agents, such as microorganisms

or cellular components for beneficial use”
U.S National Science foundation

• “The integrated use of biochemistry, microbiology and

engineering services in order to achieve technological
applications of the microorganism, cultured cells and parts”
European Federation of Biotechnology

• “Science of applied biological process”

a Dutch Perspective, 1981
 DISCIPLINES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Molecular Biology
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Cell biology
• Molecular Genetics
• Genetic Engineering: transferring
a gene from one organism to
another.
• Bio-manufacturing
 TRADITIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Biotechnology is the culmination of over 8,000
years of human experience using living
organisms and the process of fermentation to
make useful products for mankind.
• It is the technology developed by our ancestors
using the fermenting bacteria.
• It is the conventional technology which have
been used for many centuries.
• It is as old as human civilization.
HOW OLD IS BIOTECHNOLOGY ?

Butter
Cheese Ghee

• Ghee (Animal fat) – fermented product of

milk.
• Preparation of curd, cheese, wine butter,
vinegar, beer have been produced using
traditional biotechnology. The science of
Cheese fermentation is also known as zymology
 HOW OLD IS BIOTECHNOLOGY ?

Dough before rising. Dough after rising.

Leavening Bread using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (4,000 BC )

Baker’s yeast
 HOW OLD IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

6,000 BC
10,000 BC Brewing Beer
Domesticating
Crops

Domesticating Animals
8,000 - 9,000 BC

Fermentation in winemaking
 TRADITIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Egyptians about 2000BC used to
prepare vinegar from crushed dates
by keeping for longer time.

• In Egypt, Mesopotamia and Palestine

about 1500 BC the art of production
of wine from crushed grapes and
beer from germinated cereals (malt)
using a mass of yeast was
established.
HOW OLD IS BIOTECHNOLOGY ?

• 1940’s
• Production of Antibiotics

Alexander Flemming
 HOW OLD IS BIOTECHNOLOGY ?
• “Father of Microbiology”
• Vaccines - created first vaccine
for Rabies (1885) and Anthrax
( 1881).
• Pasteurization ( 1864)
• Fermentation - In the 1850s and
Louis Pasteur
1860s Louis Pasteur became the
first scientist to study
fermentation when he
demonstrated fermentation was
caused by living cells (Yeast). 1880’s
Production of Vaccines
 DNA
Double helix structure of DNA is first described by Watson and Crick.
 MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Manipulation of genes is called Genetic engineering or
Recombinant DNA technology.
• The organisms which received genes from other sources
through recombinant DNA technology are called
transgenic.
• Use of genetically engineered microorganisms, plant
and animal cells in developing production technologies
that not only enhance their productivity but also use
new products .
• The first commercial exploitation of transgenic micro
organism was the production of pharmaceutical
proteins.
 MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
1953 Double helix structure of DNA is first described by Watson and
Crick
1973 Cohen and Boyer develop genetic engineering techniques to "cut
and paste" DNA and to amplify the new DNA in bacteria.
1977 The first human protein (somatostatin) is produced in a bacterium
(E. coli).
1982 The first recombinant protein (human insulin) appears on the
market.
1983 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique conceived.
1990 Launch of the Human Genome Project (HGP), an international
effort to sequence the human genome.
1995 The first genome sequence of an organism (Haemophilus
influenzae) is determined.
2000 A first draft of the human genome sequence is completed.
2005 Over 40 million gene sequences are in GenBank, and genome
sequences of hundreds of prokaryotes and dozens of eukaryotes
are finished or in draft stage.
 BRANCHES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field which
addresses biological problems using computational
techniques.
• Blue biotechnology : to describe the marine and
aquatic applications of biotechnology.
• Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to
micro-propagation ,industrial and agriculture.
• Red biotechnology is applied to medical processes.
 MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Few examples
Flavr Savr Tomato
• The scientists have developed a
tomato with a gene that slows the
natural softening process that
accompanies ripening.
• It was the first commercially grown
genetically engineered food to be
granted a license for human
consumption.
• Delayed ripening allows tomato to
remain fresh longer.
• With increased shelf life.
 Genetically Modified

2000 White rice Vs

1983 Transgenic Mice
Golden Rice
Transgenic animals are
frequently created by
microinjection of DNA into
the pronucleus of zygotes.
The procedure is done with
the help of a complete
microinjection set-
containing of a microscope,
micromanipulators,
microinjectors and
micropipette.
 BIOTECHNOLOGY EVERYWHERE

 Medicine
 Agriculture
 Environment
 Forestry
 Healthcare
 Food and beverage processing
THANKYOU