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Transcript of Welcome to the World of Biotechnology An introduction into the business of biotechnology in Georgia...
Welcome to the World of Biotechnology
An introduction into the business of biotechnology in Georgia for high
school students
What is Biotechnology?Let’s break it down:
Bio - alive or livingTechnology - the application of science to
achieve industrial or commercial objectives
So basically, we’re talking about using living materials for a commercial or industrial purposeTaking living cells and putting them to work
for us!!!
Origins of BiotechnologyAlthough it seems like a new thing,
biotechnology has actually been around a whileDomesticated plants and animals are the
result of selective breeding (have you ever seen a wild corn plant, not something you’d want to eat)
Using yeast to make bread riseUsing bacteria or yeast to ferment grapes
into wine
So Why Should I Care?
Biotechnology aspects all aspects of your everyday life, including: agriculture and food safety, healthcare, law enforcement and environmental issues
Although there are many great career paths involving biotechnology that you may consider, possibly even more importantly, you will soon be votersYou’ll make decisions on the ethics involving
legalizing certain types of researchYou might be on a jury where biotechnology plays a
key part in the evidence presented
The Biotechnology ToolboxToday, biotechnology is used in three
main ways:Directly using cells
Placing yeast into a bioreactor to ferment grapesUsing the proteins/enzymes made by cells
Isolating antibiotics from bacteria for use in human medicine
Using the genetic material inside of cellDNA fingerprinting
Just Some of the Latest Advances in the World of Biotechnology
CloningDNA fingerprintingGenetically modified bacteria to
synthesize productsGenetically modified foods
CloningCreating a genetically identical copy of something
(ex. a DNA strand, a cell, an organ or an entire organism)
Single cells and DNA are fairly easy to clone and so this has been done for a comparatively long amount of time
Cloning entire organisms becomes increasingly more difficult the more complex the organism is (ex. Humans are harder to clone than worms) and so it is very recent and for some species has not been perfected yet
How Cloning WorksDNA is extracted from an adult cellAn egg for this same species has it’s DNA removedThe empty egg is filled with the adult DNAThe egg is implanted into a surrogate motherThe baby born from this egg is genetically identical
to the adult from which it was clonedBut, it will not share any characteristics that aren’t
genetic It will not be the same age as the animal it was cloned
from (it’ll be a baby)
Why Clone?
To create identical cells for research purposes
To maintain a genetically desirable species of plant or animal
To create a missing organ or tissue for treatment of human diseases
To save endangered or extinct species
DNA Fingerprinting Identifying the pattern of certain sequences in parts of a
person’s DNA to determine if two samples come from the same person, related persons or two, non-related individuals
Only parts of the DNA sequence are used because the whole genome is too long to sequence repeatedly
Everyone has a unique sequence of DNA (even identical twins, although their genomes would be very close to identical)
In order to be an effective tool, we need to get DNA from many people to determine how often certain patterns show up in the population
How DNA Fingerprinting Works
The DNA is isolated from a cell sample and many copies are made with a process called PCR
The DNA is cut into pieces using restriction enzymes (they cut only at specific sequences)
The DNA is run on a gel electrophoresis to separate the pieces (separated based on size)
Probes are used to find certain DNA sequences (usually VNTR sequences)
Comparisons of these pieces of DNA are made to determine identity or relationships
What can DNA Fingerprints be used for?
Paternity/maternity testsTo determine if a suspect was at a crime
sceneTo identify a murder victimTo identify a soldier killed in the line of
dutyTo determine identity
Genetically-Modified BacteriaInserting new genes into a bacteria to
trick it into making a product for usAlthough each bacteria usually doesn’t
make much product, millions of bacteria can be grown in bioreactors at the same time, and the product harvested from all of them at once
How are Genetically-Modified Bacteria Created?
A piece of DNA containing the gene for the desired product is cut with restriction enzymes
A plasmid (circular bacterial DNA) is cut with the same restriction enzyme
The piece and the plasmid are ligated (fused together)
The plasmid is transformed into the bacteriaThe plasmid either stays in whole or the gene
crosses over into the bacteria’s DNA
Some Products Now Synthesized by Bacteria
Biodiesel fuelChemicals to block an HIV infectionPhotographsHuman insulin for diabeticsPlastics
Genetically-Modified FoodsLivestock or produce that has received
new genes to make the product healthier, resistant to pest or more nutritious
The process is similar to that used to create genetically-modified bacteria, but the genes are being inserted into multi-celled organism instead
How GMO are made
The process varies slightly between each species, particularly between plants and animals, however some aspects are the same
Changes are made to the organism’s DNA by inserting a useful gene into the egg cell
This changed egg is then implanted into a mother and the baby born hopefully has the desired trait
Why make GMOs?
To give plants resistance to certain pests without the use of pesticides
To make plants drought resistantTo make cows that produce more milkTo make vegetables that can undergo long
transport without over-ripeningTo make chickens that contain extra vitamins
that may be missing from our diets
The Ethics of BiotechnologyDespite all the exciting things that biotechnology
can do or will do in the near future, there are things to consider:Would it be ethical to clone a human? Why or why not?Should your insurance company be allowed to have
access to your DNA profile if it detected some disease?How can the bacteria in bioreactors be disposed of once
they are no longer useful?What happens to the natural balance when GMO are sent
out to compete with natural plants in the environment?
Conclusion We are at the cusp of an exciting time in the
world of biologyWe are capable to manipulating living cells in ways
that would have been unimaginable even 20 years agoWith this new technology comes many new jobs and
benefits to mankindWith this new technology comes the need to think
through the ethical issues that arise and to wisely weigh the benefits against the drawbacks to make informed decisions as to what research should be encourage and what should not