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Transcript of THE IMPORTANCE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY Melaine Randle, B.Sc. (Hons), PhD. Candidate The Biotechnology...
THE IMPORTANCE OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Melaine Randle, B.Sc. (Hons), PhD. Candidate
The Biotechnology Centre
What Is Biotechnology?Manipulation of living organisms, systems to
develop products.Term coined by Hungarian engineer Karl
Ereky in 1919.Field integrates knowledge from
biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology and chemical engineering.
Includes genomics, recombinant gene technologies, applied immunology and development of pharmaceutical, diagnostic tests.
HistoryUsed in agriculture, food production and
medicine for thousands of years.
Bred productive animals to make stronger and more productive offsprings.
Fermentation: yeast cells to raise bread dough, ferment alcoholic beverages.
Microbial cultures; bacterial cells used to make cheeses and yogurts.
History
Clostridium acetobutylicum
Weizmann (1917), C. acetobutylicum corn starch acetone explosives (WWI).
Antibiotics: Penicillium notatum (Alexander Flemming, 1928). Penicillin (Florey, Chain, Heatley). Medicinal use (1940).
Penicillium notatum
ApplicationsMedical
◦Drug production (eg. Insulin, antibiotics)◦Pharmacogenomics (genetic inheritance
and response to drugs)◦Gene Therapy (replace defective genes)◦Genetic testing for diseases eg. Down’s
Syndrome, Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus sampling.
ApplicationsChemical Industry
◦Production of bulk chemicals eg. Ethanol, citric acid, acetone, butanol
◦Synthesis of enzymes, amino acids, alkaloids
Food Industry◦Production of baker’s yeast, cheese, yogurt,
soy sauce, flavours, colouring agents◦Brewing and wine making
ApplicationsAgriculture
◦Crop yield◦Reduce vulnerability of crops to environmetal
stresses◦Increased nutritional qualities◦Improved taste, texture or appearance of food◦Reduced dependence on fertilizers, pesticides◦Production of novel substances in crops◦Animal Biotechnology
Environment◦Bioremediation of soil and water
polluted with chemicals◦Treatment of sewage and other
organic waste◦Recovery of heavy metals from
industrial sources
Applications
Biotechnology Techniques
DNA IsolationDNA AmplificationDNA CloningRestriction Enzyme DigestionGel ElectrophoresisDNA Sequencing
DNA Isolation
DNA AmplificationPolymerase Chain Reaction
◦Kary Mullis (1986)◦Creates millions of copies of specific DNA
sequence synthetically via thermal cycler◦Materials needed:
DNA template dNTPs (dinucleotide triphosphates) Taq DNA Polymearse Primers Reaction buffer (+ sterile water)
PCR Steps
(a)Denaturation(b)Annealing(c)Extension
DNA Cloning
Restriction Enzyme Digestion
• Restriction enzymes•Short nucleotide sequences (4-8 bp)•Recognize and cleave DNA at specific sites
Gel Electrophoresis
• Separation and size determination of DNA fragments• Gel (agarose / polyacrylamide) in buffer• Electrical voltage• DNA moves from – electrode to + electrode
Gel Electrophoresis
DNA on gel visualized under UV exposure after ethidium bromide staining (carcinogenic)
DNA Fragments on Agarose Gel
DNA SequencingDideoxy chain termination
method (Sanger, 1975); Maxam and Gilbert Chemical Cleavage method
Currently – automated sequencing◦Array of nucleoide bases in a
sequence of DNA
DNA Sequencing
• Theory similar to Sanger Sequencing• 4 different dNTPs tagged with 4 different fluorescent dyes in single tube• All 4 tagged dNTPs electrophoresed on a gel in one lane• Fragments still separate by size but show as coloured bands• Colours have different wavelengths read by computer• Computer translates colours into order of nucleotides
Automated Sequencing
Chromatogram / spectrograph
Controversial Biotech Advances
Flavr savr tomato (Calgene) approved for commercial sale (1994)
Flavr Savr Tomatoes
Cloning of Dolly, the sheep (1996)◦First mammal cloned from adult somatic cells
Controversial Biotech Advances
Dolly
Embryonic Stem Cells Grown (James Thomson,1998)
Controversial Biotech Advances
Human Stem Cell Culture
Human genome project (2000)◦Map 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA
(2003)◦Potential benefits - better understanding of
human evolution, how to better treat diseases
Controversial Biotech Advances
Biotech ConcernsHarm to Environment – effect of GMOs
on ecosystemBioterrorism- terrorists create new
Superbugs, infectious viruses, or toxins, which are incurable
Lab or production safety – concern for lab techs when working with organisms of unknown virulence.
Ethical issues – is cloning sacrilegious?
Biotech EarningsSeveral Biotech companies worldwideEarnings exceed USD billions annually.B$10 in 3rd quarter 2005 for just 25
biotech companiesMonsanto earned B$8.3 in 2008US AgBiotech earned M$107.5 (1993),
earned B$10 (2000)AgBiotech earned B$100 (2010)Herbal Biotech B$8
Biotechnology in Jamaica
Biotechnology Centre (University of the West Indies)
Scientific Research Council
Coconut Industry Board
The Biotechnology Centre - UWI
Established in 1989
Develop the research capabilities and training programmes in biotechnology
(post-graduate students)
BTC – Current ProjectsPlant tissue culture
◦indigenous medicinal plant bank◦Production of disease-free yam
(Dioscorea sp) plantlets ◦Improvements in micro-propagation
methods
BTC- ProjectsPlant genetic transformation
◦Resistance to Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) Production of papaya for human consumption, either fresh or processed Cornell University, USA & UWI, Jamaica
Papaya
Plant Genetic Transformation◦Resistance to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus
(TYLCV-Is) Production of tomatoes for human consumption, either fresh or processed UW-Madison, Hebrew Univ., UWI
BTC- Projects
TYLCV
BTC - Projects
Plant molecular virology◦Molecular diagnostics based on the
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique had been developed for detecting geminiviruses, lethal yellowing (LY) phytoplasma, and Citrus tristeza virus (CTV)
Career PossibilitiesBiotechnology companies Major drug companies
(biotechnology divisions). Chemical companies with large
agricultural chemical businesses also have substantial biotechnology labs◦Researcher; Chemist; Research
Assistant◦Lab Tech
Education and TrainingBachelor's degree
◦most scientists say it is necessary to have a Ph.D. to be given the responsibility to do creative work
ConclusionBiotechnology offers great promise in:
◦Improving the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary diseases
◦Formulation and manufacture of safer drugs◦Production of environmentally friendly
herbicides and pesticides◦Improvement in microbial processes to clean
up the environment
Making these promises a reality require effort and revision of several assumptions
Thank You