UNIT I

a) Brief Introduction to Biotechnology with reference to

Pharmaceutical sciences
• Biotechnology

• History of Biotechnology

• Branches of Biotechnology

• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

• Differences between Biotechnology and

pharmaceutical biotechnology

• Applications
 Biotechnology

• It is an interdisciplinary field which reflects the relationship between

“Science of biology” and “Technology”.

• It deals with biological systems like cells or tissues, biological,

molecules like enzymes, antibodies and protein or their derivatives as
well as living organisms to, make or modify products or processes for
human use and welfare.
History
Branches of Biotechnology
1. Red Biotechnology
• Referred as Medical Biotechnology
• Used for the production of drugs and antibiotic medicines
2. Blue Biotechnology
• Deals with marine organisms and water-borne organisms.
• Used to protect marine organisms from harmful diseases in underwater.
3. Gray Biotechnology
• Deals with environmental applications and focused on the removal of
pollutants and maintenance of biodiversity using biotechnological
techniques.
4. Violet Biotechnology
• Deals with law, ethical and philosophical issues around biotechnology.
5. Yellow Biotechnology
• Refers to the use of biotechnology in food production, for example in
making wine, cheese, and beer by fermentation.
6. Dark Biotechnology
• Associated with bioterrorism or biological weapons and biowarfare which
uses microorganisms and toxins to cause diseases and death in humans
and crops
7. Gold Biotechnology (Bioinformatics)
• Is a combination of computers and biotechnology. It helps in finding the
analysis of data related to biotechnology.
• Plays an important and vital role in areas like functional genomics,
structural genomics and proteomics.
8. Brown Biotechnology
• Related to the management of dry lands and deserts.
• One application is the creation of enhanced seeds that resist extreme
environmental conditions of dry lands, which is related to the
innovation, creation of agriculuture techniques and management of
resources.
9. Green Biotechnology
• is the term used for the agriculture sector.
• Design of transgenic plants (plants whose DNA is modified) helps to
grow in a specified environment with the help of certain chemicals.
10. White/Industry Biotechnology
• Dedicated to industrial production through biological processes.
 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
 The use of microorganisms, plants, animals or parts of
them for the production of useful compounds.
Examples:
• Use of bacteria to produce things such as insulin or human
growth hormone.
• Use of transgenic pigs for the creation of hemoglobin in use
of humans.
Def: Branch of biomedical sciences that uses novel technologies for

production, formulation, and synthesis of biological substances from the

living organisms, which act as drug molecules for the treatment and/or
prevention of various diseases and/or syndromes.

Aim: To design, produce drugs that are adapted to each persons genetic
makeup which can give the maximum therapeutic effect.
Difference between biotechnology and pharmaceutical biotechnology:

 Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies both produce medicines, but the

medicines made by companies in the biotech industry are derived from living
organisms while those made by pharmaceutical companies generally have a chemical
basis.
Applications of Biotechnology
Applications of Biotechnology