TRADITIONAL AND MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION TO BIOTECHNOLOGY:

 Egyptians used yeasts to bake leavened bread

 Chinese developed fermentation techniques for brewing and cheese making
 Aztecs used Spirulina algae to make cakes

What is Biotechnology?
 Bio and technology
 Bio-life
 Technology – the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
 Karl Ereky in 1917
 Deals with techniques of using live microorganisms, plant or animal cells or their components or
enzymes from organisms to produce products and processes (services) useful to human beings.
 Deals with the manipulation of the genes of organisms to alter their behaviour, characteristics,
or value

TRADITIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

1. Traditional selection on plants and animals

2. Traditional production of antibiotics
3. Traditional production of vaccines
4. Fermentation – is a metabolic process in which an organism converts a carbohydrate, such as
starch or a sugar, into an alcohol or an acid

EXAMPLES OF FERMENTATION:
 Fermentation of milk to create various dairy
 Fermentation of fruits, mainly grapes, to create wine and beer
 The use of yeast in baking

PRODUCTS OF FERMENTATION:
 Beer
 Biofuels
 Wine
 Yogurt
 Cheese
 Bread leavening by yeast
 Dairy Products
 Bakery Products
 Alcohol production
 Dye Manufacturing

5. Cloning- describes the processes used to create exact genetic replica of another cell, tissue, or
orgqnism. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, it is called a
clone. Dolly was the first cloned animal.
6. Selective breeding- involves choosing parents with particular characteristics to breed together
and produce offspring with more desirable characteristics
7. Tissue Culture- is a method of biological research in which fragments of tissue from an animal or
plant are transferred to an artificial environment in whch they can continue to survive and
funtion
8. Food Preservation – is the process of treating and handling food in such way as to stop or
greatly slow down spoilage and prevent foodborne illness while maintaning nutritional value,
texture, and flavor

METHODS OF FOOD PRESERVATION:

 Canning- placing foods in jars or cans and heating properly to a specified temperature.
 Pickling- preserving edible products In an acid solution, usually vinegar, or in salt
solution.
 Drying- using evaporation to remove water and moisture from food so bacteria, yeast,
and molds cannot grow.
 Curing- is the addition to meats of some combination of salt, sugar. And nitrite for the
purpose of preservation, flavor and color.
 Freezing-delays spoilage and keeps foods safe by preventing growth of microorganisms
and slowing down the enzyme activity that causes food to spoil

THE USE OF MICROBES TO ENHANCE FOOD FLAVOR, MANUFACTURE

BEVERAGES, YOGURT MAKING, CHEESE PRODUCTION, TO MAKE THE DOUGH
RISE, BEER BREWING BY FERMENTATION, AND OTHER APPLICATIONS – ARE
EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY THAT ARE STILL PRACTICED
TODAY. IN ALL THESE PROCESSES, ONLY THE NATURAL CAPABILITIES OF THE
ORGANISMS AND CELLS ARE EXPLOITED.
What is Modern Biotechnology?- It is used to distinguish newer applications of biotechnology that
involves the use of genetic engneering techniques

Types:

Recombinant DNA, Functional and Structural Genomics. DNA Diagnostic Probes, Genetic Modification
Techniques.

It Covers:

 Food
 Agriculture
 Forestry
 Healthcare
 Environment
 Minerals
 Industrial Processes

 Recombinant DNA techniques and mutagenesis are used to develop plants with novel
traits.
 Biotechnology Diagnostics have been used to detect and cure a wide variety of diseases
and conditions

MAIN TECHNIQUES IN MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

A. GENETIC ENGINEERING
 This is the technique involved in the change of nature of geetuc nature of genetic
matter of a living organism and to introduce in to a host organism to alter the
nature of host organism.

B. BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
 This is the technique involved in the maintenance of sterile conditions of a desired
microorganism in biotechnological processses to get products like enzymes,
hormones, antibiotics, vaccines, and medicines.

MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY MAIN CONCERNS

A. RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY (GENETIC ENGINEERING)

B. TISSUE/ CELL CULTURE
C. ENZYME AND FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

A. RECOMBINANT DNA (GENETIC ENGINEERING)

 Involves in using enzymes and various laboratory techniques to manipulate and
isolate DNA segments of interest.
  Used to combine (splice) DNA from different species or to create genes with new
functions
 The resulting copies are referred to Recombinant DNA

B. TISSUE CULTURE
Is the cultivation of cells, tissues, or organs formulated nutrient media.
Under the right conditions, for example a plant, an entire plant can be
generated from a single cell.

C. FERMENTATION AND ENZYME TECHNOLOGY

Mainly focuses on production and application of enzymes in various
industries such as food, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, deteregent, textile,
paper, leather, and fine chemical industries.

CATEGORIES OF MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY- is the technology applied to agricultural processes.

Also called as:

 Plant Biotechnology
 Animal Biotechnology

Plant Biotechnology- is the technique used to manipulate the plants for specific needs or
requirement.

Techniques in Plant Biotechnology:

 Plant Tissue Culture- is the collection of many techniques that is used to maintain and
grow plant, plant cells, plant tissues under controlled sterile conditions over thhe
nutrient medium.
 Genetically Modified Organism- In GMO, genetic material (DNA) is altered artificially
introduced using genetic engineering techniques such as mutation, insertion, or deletion
of genes. It is done to induce a desirable new trait which does not occur naturally in the
species.

TRANSGENIC CROPS/ BIOTECH CROPS/ GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS/ GENETICALLY ENGINEERED

CROPS

 They are the plants used in agriculture, whose DNA has been modified to induce a
desired trait might help in:
 Controlling certain pests, diseases, or environmental conditions
 Reduction of spoilage
 Inducing resistance to chemical treatments (resistance to herbicide)
  Resist viral infections
 Produce useful proteins
 Remove heavy material from soil and water
 Improving nutrient profile of th crop
 Inducing tolerance to high salt soils and to flooding in crops
 Make production easier
 Prolonging shelf life and commercial value of fruits and vegetables

MAJOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

 Golden Rice – is a variety of rice produced to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of

Vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.
- It is mostly consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary Vitamin A

 BT Cotton

- Is an insect- resistant cotton variety

- In Inda, the first genetically modified crop of cotton was officially introduced in the
year 2002. This cotton carried genes from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, and it is
therefore called Bt cotton. These genes produce proteins that protect the cotton plant
from the pest called bollworm.

 Bt Brinjal
- Is India’s second most consumed vegetable after potatoes.
- It is created by inserting a crystal protein gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis.

ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
 Scientist can custom- design genetically modified animals that better serve the needs of
humans.

Technology of Artificial Insemianation- developed to help producers

make rapid improvement in their herds.
Embryo Transfer- allowed genetic improvement from the material side
of the herd.
Animal Cloning- a means of reproducing animals with superior genetics.

Blue Biotechnology – is the term used to describe aquatic and marine applications of biotechnology.

Also Called as:

Marine Biotechnology- a blue biotechnology whose intention is to host scientific contributions

in marine science that are based on the enormous biodiversity of marine ecosystems and the
genetic uniqueness of marine organisms to develop new useful products and cell applications.
 AQUACULTURE AND FISHERY
 Aquaculture or Aquafarming is the controlled cultivation (‘farming’) of aquatic
organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such
as aquatic plants (lotus).

BIOFUEL

 Biofuels from microalgae is one of the economically viable ways to reduce fossil fuel
consumption.
 Microalgae are considered better sources of biofuels thhan higher plants because of
their high oil content

RED BIOTECHNOLOGY- Is the technology used in medical applications.

 Or Bio-pharmaceutical, is a process that utilizes organisms to improve health care and help the
body to fight diseases. It is a branch of modern biotechnology that is utilized in the field of
medicine.

MEDICINE
 Personalized Genomics- is a new field that expandson traditional genetic testing.

GENE THERAPY

 Is used to create and cure genetic disorders and illnesses that were once considered
untreatable

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

 Uses stem cells to repair and replace injured and diseased tissues.

WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY- Is the technology used to industrial processes.

 Uses microorganisms and their enzymes to manufacture the goods for industry, such as
chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, food, and energy carriers.

EXAMPLES:
 Designing of an organism to produce a useful chemical
 Uaing of enzymes as industrial catalysts to wither produce valuable chemicals or
destroy hazardous/polluting chemicals

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY- is a branch of biotechnology that is applied to and used to study

the natural environement.

 Bioremediation- is the use of living organisms ti remedy an environmental problem

  It is the use of either naturally occuring or deliberately introduced microorganisms or other
forms of life to consume and break down environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a
polluted site.

BIOTECH NOTES WEEK 2

TECHNIQUES USED IN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

BIOTECHNOLOGY

 A research oriented field

 You need to possess sound and technical skills with soft transferrable skills to get placed in the
field.
 It has the potential to provide benefits but also negative effects to people and societies
 It is important that biotechnologica innovations must be carefully tested and analyzed before
they are released before general use.

TRADITIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY

 Fermentation – is the process that many microorganisms (yeasts, molds, and bacteria) produce
enzymes to break down sugar yielding a new product.
 Louis Pasteur – first decribed the scientific basis for fermentation in the late 1800’s
 Pasteur’s hypothesis, called the germ theory, showing the existence of microorganisms and
their effect on fermentation
 The Germ Theory – states that certain bacteria cause certain diseases.

Selective Breeding/Selection – It is when plants or animals with similar traits are chosen from a
population then reproduced.

 Plants in selective breeding – For plants, the reason for selection is to have a better yield,
resistance to the atmospheric conditions, pest and plants pathogens and have a fastly product
quality.
 Animals in selective breeding – In animals, choosing a few parents with the desired traits with
the intent of increasing the amount of desired qualities in the offspring.

Two Types Of Selective Breeding In Animals

1. Inbreeding
2. Crossbreeding

INBREEDING (categorized into two)

1. Close Breeding – where animals share common ancestors mate
2. Pure Breeding – where animals that are not related but of the same breed mates

Crossbreeding – It is the mating of animals from different breeds.

Antibiotics
  They are biotechnological products that inhbit bacterial growth or kill bacteria
 They are naturally produced by microorganisms
 They are produced on a large scale by cultivating and manipulating fungal cells.

Vaccines

 Traditional methods are the employment of artificial selection and hybridization

 Biotechnology is mainly used in three ways as follows:
1. Seperation of a pure antigen using a specific monoclonal antibody
2. Sythesis of an antigen with the assistance of a cloned gene
3. Synthesis of peptides to be used as vaccines

CLONES OF EACH OTHER

o Two exactly similar or carbon copies of organisms having same source of

origin
o CLONE is applied for living organisms or structures
o Normally clones of organisms can be described as the organism which have
the exact same genetic composition

MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Three Important Techniques in Modern Biotechnology:

1. Recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering)

2. Plant Tissue
3. Transgenic (genetically modified organisms)

HAZARDS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

1. Spread of New Diseases

2. Effect on Evolution
3. Biological Welfare

Tissue Culture – is able to develop a single or small plants part into a complete plant.
Titopotency – the ability or capacity to the mature living cells when free from the plant body
develop into a new organism in controlled condition

TRANSGENIC PLANTS
 Are obtained involving tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques

GENETIC TRANSFORMATION

 The process of transfer, integration, and expression of transgene in an organism.

 TRANSGENES

 Refer to foreign genes or modified genes of the same species which are used for the
development of transgenic plants or genotypes

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TRANSGENIC CROP BREEDING

ADVANTAGES:

 Crop improvement
 Gene transfer between unrelated species and even between unrelated organisms
 Evolution of new genotypes

DISADVANTAGES:

 Unstable performance
 Plelotropic (multipe effects of a single gene) of transgene
 Position effect on transgene
 Costly method of crop improvement
 Low frequency of transgeni plant
 Risk evolution of problematic weed species
 Allergies and economic concerns

Genetically Engineered Organism are referred to as transgenic or GMO. In other words, a Genotype
developed by the process of genetic engineering is called TRANSGENIC (pleural transgenic)

THE CELL AND TISSUE CULTURES LEAD TO REGENERATION OF COMPLETE PLANTS IN SOME SPECIES
LIKE CARROT, AND SANDALWOOD, SOMATIC EMBRYOS ARE DEVEOP, BUT IN SEVERAL CROPS LIKE
WHEAT, RICE, BARLEY AND TOBACCO DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH ROOF AND SHOOT TAKES PLACE FROM
THE CALLI.