BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS

APPLICATION IN AGRICULTURE

BIOLOGYINVESTIGATORY PROJECT
Submitted By:
Jasmine Gochhayat
XII A , Roll: 13
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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, Mrs. Bijaylaxmi Behera
as well as our Principal Sh. Mohan Das Giri who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic “Biotechnology and
its application” which also helped me in doing a lot of research.

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

Jasmine Gochhayat

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 JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA
SALBANI , MAYURBHANJ

“ CERTIFICATE ”
This is to certify that Jasmine Gochhayat of class XII Of JNV , Salbani,
Mayurbhanj has successfully completed the Biology investigatory project
on the topic “BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATION IN AGRICULTURE”
under the guidance of Mrs.Bijaylaxmi Behera during the session 2023-
2024 in the partial fulfilment of Biology Practical Examination conducted
by CENTRAL BOARD OFSECONDARY EDUCATION (AISSCE).

Signature of Signature of
Department of Biology External Examiner

Signature of
Principal

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 Contents
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Biotechnology in Agriculture
4. Genetically Modified Crops

• RNA Interference (RNAi)

• BT toxin

5. BT cotton
6. Biotechnology in Medicine
7. Genetically engineered insulin (Humulin)
8. Gene therapy
9. Conclusion
10. Bibliography

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 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. At its simplest , biotechnology is technology
based on biology biotechnology harnesses cellular
and bio molecular processes to develop technologies
and products that help improve our lives and the health
of our planet. We have used the biological processes of
microorganisms for more than 6,000years to make useful food products, such as bread
and cheese, and to preserve dairy products. Modern biotechnology provides break through products
and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed
the hungry, useless and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial
manufacturing processes.
Biotech is helping to heal the world by harnessing nature's own toolbox and using our own genetic
makeup to heal and guide lines of research by:
 Reducing rates of infectious disease
 Saving millions of children's lives
 Changing the odds of serious, life-threatening conditions affecting millions around the world
 Tailoring treatments to individuals to minimize health risks and side effects
 Creating more precise tools for disease detection
 Combating serious illnesses and everyday threats confronting the developing world.

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. These processes also were included in early FERMENTATION of BEER.

In BREWING, malted grains (containing ENZYMES) convert starch from grains into sugar and then
adding specific YEASTS to produce beer. In this process, carbohydrates in the grains were broken
down into alcohols such as ethanol. Fermentation was also used in this time period to produce
Leavened Bread.

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Although the process of fermentation was not
fully understood until LOUIS PASTEUR 'S
work in 1857, it is still the first use of
biotechnology to convert a food source
into another form. For thousands of years,
humans have used selective breeding to improve
production of crops and livestock to use them for
food. In selective breeding, organisms with
desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example,
this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops. Biotechnology has also
led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928, ALEXANDER FLEMING discovered the mould
Penicillium.

BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE :-

Genetically Modified Crops :-

“Genetically Modified Crops” or “GM crops” or “Biotech crops” are plants used in agriculture, the
DNA of which has been modified with genetic engineering techniques. In most cases the aim to
introduce a new trait of the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples of food
crops include resistant to certain pests, diseases, stressful environmental conditions, resistant to
chemical treatment, reduction of spoilage ,or improving the nutrient profile of crop. Examples of
non- food crop include production of pharmaceutical agents ,biofuels, and other industrially useful
goods as well as bio remediation.
Plants and crops with GM traits have been more than any other crops – with no credible evidence
of harms to humans or animals .In facts seed with GM traits have been tested more than any other
crops in the history of agriculture credible evidence of harm to humans.
Genetic modifications have :
1.Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold,drought,salt,heat).
2.Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).
3.Helped to reduce post harvest losses.
4.Increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion 9f fertility of soil).
5.Enhanced nutritional values of food ,e.g.,golden rice,I.e., Vitamin A enriched rice.

RNA Interference(RNAi):-

RNA Interference or RNAi is method of blocking gene function by inserting short sequence of
ribonucleic acid (RNA) that match part of target gene’s sequence thus no proteins are produced.
RNAi has the potential to become a powerful therapeutic approach toward targeted and
personalized medicine.
RNAi has provided a way to control pests and diseases, introduce novel plant traits and increase crop
yield. Using RNAi, scientists have developed novel crops such as nicotine-free tobacco, non-allergenic
peanuts, decaffeinated coffee, and nutrient fortified maize among many others.

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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 endoribonuclease 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 bi-
directional transcription of transposable elements or physically introduced.

There are several opportunities for the applications of RNAi in crop science for its improvement such
as stress tolerance and enhanced nutritional level. This knockdown technology may be useful in
inducing early flowering, delayed ripening, delayed senescence, breaking dormancy, stress-free
plants, overcoming self-sterility, etc. 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 tobudworm. Strains
of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce over200
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 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
the genetically 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. BT cotton is ineffective against
many cotton pests such as plant bugs, stinck bugs and aphids; depending on circumstances it may be
desirable tousle insecticides in prevention.

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Mechanism:
BT cotton was created through the addition of genes encoding toxin crystals in the Cry group of
endotoxin. When insects attack and eat the cotton plant the Cry toxins are dissolved due to the high
pH level of the insects stomach. The dissolved and activated Cry molecules bond to cadherin-like
proteins on cells comprising the brush border molecules. The epithelium of the brush border
membranes separates the body cavity from the gut whilst allowing access for nutrients. The Cry toxin
molecules attach themselves to specific locations on the cadherin-

like proteins present on the epithelial cells of the midge and ion channels are formed which allow the
flow of potassium. Regulation of potassium concentration is essential and, if left unchecked, causes
death of cells. Due to the formation of Cry ion channels sufficient regulation of potassium ions is lost
and results in the death of epithelial cells. The death of such cells creates gaps in the brush border
membrane.

Advantages:
BT cotton has several advantages over non BT cotton. The important advantages of BT cotton are
briefly :
•Increases yield of cotton due to effective control of three types of bollworms, viz. American, Spotted
and Pink bollworms.
•Insects belonged to Lepidoptera (Bollworms) are sensitive to crystalline endotoxic protein produced
by BT gene which in turn protects cotton from bollworms.
•Reduction in pesticide use in the cultivation of BT cotton in which bollworms are major pests.
•Reduction in the cost of cultivation and lower farming risks.
•Reduction in environmental pollution by the use of insecticides rarely.
• BT cotton exhibit genetic resistance or inbuilt resistance which is a permanent type of resistance
and not affected by environmental factors. Thus protects crop from bollworms.
• BT cotton is eco-friendly 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.
•No health hazards due to rare use of insecticides.
• BT cotton are early in maturing as compared to non BT cotton.

Disadvantages:
Bt cotton has some limitations
• High cost of Bt cotton seeds as compared to non Bt
cotton seeds.
• 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.

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BT COTTON IN INDIA :-
Bt cotton is supplied in India's Maharashtra state by the agribiotechnology company, Mahyco, as
the distributor. 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.

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 CONCLUSION
Biotechnology is the new wonder of science. It is truly multidisciplinary in nature and it
encompasses several disciplines of basic sciences and engineering. The Science disciplines from
which biotechnology draws heavily are microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, molecular
biology, immunology, cell and tissue culture and physiology. On the engineering side it leans heavily
on process chemical and biochemical engineering since large scale cultivation of microorganisms
and cells, their downstream processing are based on them. It comes to us as a great blessing...

Biotechnology utilizes the technique called genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technology
where a microorganism is isolated; its genetic material is cut, manipulated, sealed, again inserted
in an organism and allowed to grow in a suitable environment under controlled conditions to get
the desired product. It looks easy but is a very tedious job and it takes years for a research to achieve
its goal.
Like every other thing, biotechnology too has some harmful impacts:
1. Genetic engineering is a very vital part of biotechnology and the cost of transferring genes from
one species to another is very expensive, which requires a huge amount of capital investment. The
cost of producing genetically- modified plants and animals are sky- rocketing and the duration of
return are also not predictable.
2. Genetic engineering crosses boundaries of reproduction by crossing genes of species that are
completely unrelated; hence giving rise to hazardous results as well as also increasing the risk of
harming multiple species.
3. When genetic material from certain viruses is used in the production of transgenic crops, there are
chances that these virus genes will combine with crop genes to produce more destructive viruses.
The consumption of such crops is hazardous to human health and can cause several life-
threatening ailments. It can also result in cancer, often malignant as well.
4. Biotechnology also poses a number of environmental threats. Genetically modifies crops often
infect monarch butteries and other insect species.

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 must
continue to be carefully regulated so that the maximum benefits are received with the least risk.

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 BIBILOGRAPHY
• 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-andRecombinant-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_deficiency
• http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin/animal-insulin.htmlBiology textbook (N.C.E.R.T)
Class 12th

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