BTY8822: Fundamentals of

Biotechnology
Textbook of biotechnology by DAS H.K
Reference:
Lehninger principles of biochemistry by NELSON
AND. COX
Principles of fermentation technology by
STANBURRY AND WHITAKER
The cell: a molecular approach by COOPER

Introduction to
Biotechnology

What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the manipulation of
living organisms and organic material
to serve human needs.
Examples:
Yeast in bread making and alcohol
production
Use of micro-organisms to kill harmful
organisms
Cloning of plants and animals

 It includes:
Purposeful design and modification/assembly of bio-oriented
materials (e.g.,
proteins/enzymes, microorganisms,
plant/animal cells) and unit processes to benefit humans.

Use

and applications of biological system (cells, tissues etc.)

or biomolecules (enzymes/proteins, antibodies, DNA/RNA) and
key technologies to produce valuable products at commercial
scale.

To discover and understand the underlying mechanisms of

behaviors and disorders in living organisms

 Definition of Biotechnology based on the use of techniques and

methods:
Traditional Biotechnology (Before 1970)
- Broad definition of Biotech : Using a biological system to make
products
-

Food processing : Fermented foods, Brewery, Dairy products, etc.

The process of brewing beer : conversion of starch to sugar followed

by addition of specific yeast

 Modern Biotechnology (After 1970s)

Use of recombinant DNA technology since 1973:
- Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer : perfected techniques to cut and
paste DNA and reproduce the new DNA in bacteria.

Use of genetically altered organisms

- Agriculture : Modifications of living plants for improved
yield of food crops ,Crops with reduced vulnerability to
frost, draught, and the cold.
- Medicine: Genetically modified bacteria: Insulin
production

Recombinant E. coli

Computer-generated insulin structure

DNA microarray

Gene therapy using adenovirus

BIOTECHNOLOGY
TIMELINE..

1750 B.C.
Origins of biotechnology emerge in
methods of food production and plant
and animal breeding
Use of bacteria to produce cheese (food
preservation)
Use of natural enzymes in yogurt
Use of yeast to produce bread
Use of fermentation for producing wine
and beer

 1869
DNA is discovered in trout sperm by
German Miescher

1919
The word biotechnology is first used
by a Hungarian agricultural engineer
Kroly Ereky

1940s-1950s
Widespread work is undertaken to
investigate the structure and
function of DNA

James Watson & Francis

Crick

1953
Credited for the discovery of the double
helix structure of DNA based on data
provided by Rosalind Franklins work.

Biotechnology Timeline
1966
The genetic code for DNA is cracked.
Three scientists shared the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine
for the discovery.

Marshall Nirenberg

Robert Holley

Har Gobind Khorana

Biotechnology Timeline
1971
The first complete synthesis of a gene
occurs.
Discovery of restriction enzymes that cut
and splice genetic material very
specifically occurs. This opens the way for
gene cloning.

Werner ArberandMatthew Meselson

Paul Berg
1972
Stanford University
scientist who first
developed recombinant
DNA technology, a
method for insertion of
genetic material from
one organism into
another.

Biotechnology Timeline
1973:
Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer perfected
genetic engineering techniques to cut and
paste DNA using restriction enzymes.

Stanley Cohen

Herbert Boyer and a recombinant bacterium

1980
The U.S.
Supreme Court
approves the
patenting of
genetically
altered
organisms.

Biotechnology Timeline
1981
The first transgenic animals are produced
by transferring genes from
one mice type into another
mice.
The first patent for a
genetically modified organism
is granted for bacteria that can
break down crude oil.

 1982
Humulin:
Human insulin drug produced by
genetically engineered bacteria for
the treatment of diabetes.
The first biotech drug to be approved
by the Food and Drug Administration.

Biotechnology Timeline
1983
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
technique, which makes unlimited copies
of genes and gene fragments, is
conceived.
Kary Mullis, wins the 1993 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry for the discovery.

Biotechnology Timeline
1990 First federally approved gene therapy
treatment is performed successfully on a young
girl who suffered from an immune disorder SCID.

1994 The United States Food and Drug

Administration approves the first GM food: the
"Flavr Savr" tomato.
slow the ripening process of the tomato and thus
prevent it from softening, while still allowing the
tomato to retain its natural colour and flavour

1980s-1990s
A variety of GMOs and biotechnology
techniques are introduced in fields from
agriculture to medicine
Recombinant DNA technology-extracts DNA
from one organism for use in another,
allowing more rapid and specific
improvements in plants and animals
Plant Tissue Culture-gains widespread
acceptance as a method to quickly and
cheaply produce genetically identical plants

1990s
First transgenic organisms (GMOs)
are introduced in widespread
agricultural production, particularly
in the area of crops.
Bt corn and soybeans are introduced
offering natural insect resistance by
the introduction of a gene from the
bacterium Baccillus thuringensis

Biotechnology Timeline
1990:
TheHuman Genome Project(HGP): an
internationalscientific researchproject with the
goal of determining the sequence of chemical
base pairswhich make up humanDNA.
The project got underway in 1990, and was
declared complete in 2003.
Most of the government-sponsored sequencing
was performed in twentyuniversitiesand
research centers in the United States, the
United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and
China.

1997

Dolly is the first animal cloned from

diploid cells is produced in Scotland

After cloning was successfully demonstrated through the production of Dolly, many
other large mammals were cloned, including pigs, deer, horses and bulls.

Biotechnology Timeline
1998
Human embryonic stem cell lines are
established.
They offer hope to many
because they may be
able to replace diseased
or dysfunctional cells.

 2003

TheHuman
Genome
Projectis
completed,
providing
information on the locations and
sequence ofhuman geneson all
46chromosomes.

 Key findings of the draft (2001) and

complete (2004) genome sequences
include:
There are approximately 20,500genes in
human beings, the same range as in mice.
The human genome has significantly
moresegmental duplications(nearly
identical, repeated sections of DNA) than
other mammalian genomes.

SIGNIFICANCE
The Human Genome Project, through
its sequencing of the DNA, can help us:
Understand diseases.
identification
of
oncogenes
and
mutations linked to different forms of
cancer
the design of medication and more
accurate prediction of their effects

Biotechnology Timeline
2004
is
its

The first cloned

pet a kitten
delivered to
owner.

She is called CopyCat (or Cc for short).

2004- present
2007: Scientists discover how to use human
skin cells to create embryonic stem cells.
2008: Chemists in Japan create the first
DNA molecule made almost entirely of
artificial parts led to creating the world's
first living artificial organism.
2011: Trachea derived from stem cells
transplanted
into
human
recipient.
Advances in 3-D printing technology lead to
skin-printing.

 2012

31
year-oldZac
Vawtersuccessfully
uses
anervous
systemcontrolledbionicleg
to
climb theChicago Willis Tower.

Branches of Biotechnology
Green biotechnology:is biotechnology
applied to agricultural processes.
Selection and domestication of plants
viaMicropropagation.
Designing oftransgenic plants. E.g:
Flavr Savr
Engineering of a plant to express
apesticide, thereby ending the need of
external application of pesticides. E.g.:
Bt corn.

Branches of Biotechnology
White biotechnology, also known as
industrial biotechnology, is biotechnology
applied toindustrialprocesses.
Designing of an organism to produce a
useful chemical.
Using enzymesas industrialcatalyststo
either produce valuable chemicals or
destroy hazardous/polluting chemicals.
White biotechnology tends to consume
less in resources than traditional
processes used to produce industrial
goods

Branches of Biotechnology
Red biotechnologyis applied to
medical processes.
Designing of organisms to
produceantibiotics.
Recombinant E. coli for Insulin
production
Genetic manipulations for treatment of
diseases : Gene therapy
Organ Cloning

Branches of Biotechnology
Blue biotechnologyis a term that has
been used to describe the marine and
aquatic applications of biotechnology.
Yellow
Biotechnology
refers
to
biotechnology with insects. Active
ingredients or genes in insects are
characterized and used for research or
application in agriculture and medicine.

Branches of Biotechnology
Bioinformaticsis
an
interdisciplinary
field
which
addresses biological problems using
computational
techniques,
and
makes the rapid organization as well
as analysis of biological data
possible.
Forms a key component in the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical
sector.