Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology, the use of biology to solve problems and make useful products. The most
prominent area of biotechnology is the production of therapeutic proteins and other drugs
through genetic engineering. It is the use of technology in biology.
History of Biotechnology
Although not normally what first comes to mind, many forms of human-
derived agriculture clearly fit the broad definition of "'utilizing a biotechnological system to
make products". Indeed, the cultivation of plants may be viewed as the earliest biotechnological
enterprise.
Agriculture has been theorized to have become the dominant way of producing food since
the Neolithic Revolution. Through early biotechnology, the earliest farmers selected and bred the
best suited crops, having the highest yields, to produce enough food to support a growing
population. As crops and fields became increasingly large and difficult to maintain, it was
discovered that specific organisms and their by-products could effectively fertilize, restore
nitrogen, and control pests. Throughout the history of agriculture, farmers have inadvertently
altered the genetics of their crops through introducing them to new environments
and breeding them with other plants — one of the first forms of biotechnology.
Before the time of Charles Darwin's work and life, animal and plant scientists had already
used selective breeding. Darwin added to that body of work with his scientific observations
about the ability of science to change species. These accounts contributed to Darwin's theory of
natural selection.
For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to improve production of
crops and livestock to use them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable
characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this
technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops.
The field of modern biotechnology is generally thought of as having been born in 1971
when Paul Berg's (Stanford) experiments in gene splicing had early success. Herbert W.
Boyer (Univ. Calif. at San Francisco) and Stanley N. Cohen (Stanford) significantly advanced
the new technology in 1972 by transferring genetic material into a bacterium, such that the
imported material would be reproduced. The commercial viability of a biotechnology industry
was significantly expanded on June 16, 1980, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that
a genetically modified microorganism could be patented in the case of Diamond v. Chakra
arty.] Indian-born Ananda Chakrabarty, working for General Electric, had modified a bacterium
(of the genus Pseudomonas) capable of breaking down crude oil, which he proposed to use in
treating oil spills. (Chakrabarty's work did not involve gene manipulation but rather the transfer
of entire organelles between strains of the Pseudomonas bacterium.
By the mid-1980s, other BioFETs had been developed, including the gas sensor FET
(GASFET), pressure sensor FET (PRESSFET), chemical field-effect
transistor (ChemFET), reference ISFET (REFET), enzyme-modified FET (ENFET) and
immunologically modified FET (IMFET). By the early 2000s, BioFETs such as the DNA field-
effect transistor (DNAFET), gene-modified FET (GenFET) and cell-potential BioFET (CPFET)
had been developed
Rising demand for biofuels is expected to be good news for the biotechnology sector, with
the Department of Energy estimating ethanol usage could reduce U.S. petroleum-derived fuel
consumption by up to 30% by 2030. The biotechnology sector has allowed the U.S. farming
industry to rapidly increase its supply of corn and soybeans—the main inputs into biofuels—by
developing genetically modified seeds that resist pests and drought. By increasing farm
productivity, biotechnology boosts biofuel production
Applications of Biotechnology
Medicine
Agriculture
Genetically modified crops ("GM crops", or "biotech crops") are plants used in agriculture,
the DNA of which has been modified with genetic engineering techniques. In most cases, the
main aim is to introduce a new trait that does not occur naturally in the species. Biotechnology
firms can contribute to future food security by improving the nutrition and viability of urban
agriculture. Furthermore, the protection of intellectual property rights encourages private sector
investment in agro biotechnology. For example, in Illinois FARM Illinois (Food and Agriculture
Roadmap for Illinois) is an initiative to develop and coordinate farmers, industry, research
institutions, government, and nonprofits in pursuit of food and agriculture innovation. In
addition, the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization (bio) is a life sciences industry
association with more than 500 life sciences companies, universities, academic institutions,
service providers and others as members. The association describes its members as "dedicated to
making Illinois and the surrounding Midwest one of the world’s top life sciences centers
Industrial
Environmental
The environment can be affected by biotechnologies, both positively and adversely. Valero
and others have argued that the difference between beneficial biotechnology (e.g.
Bioremediation is to clean up an oil spill or hazard chemical leak) versus the adverse effects
stemming from biotechnological enterprises (e.g. flow of genetic material from transgenic
organisms into wild strains) can be seen as applications and implications, respectively. Cleaning
up environmental wastes is an example of an application of environmental biotechnology;
whereas loss of biodiversity or loss of containment of a harmful microbe are examples of
environmental implications of biotechnology.
Cloning of a gene
It produces many identical copies. Recombinant DNA technology is used when a very large
quantity of a gene is required. The use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) creates a lesser
number of copies within a laboratory test tube.
Recombinant DNA
Biotechnology is the third wave in biological science and represents such an interface of
basic and applied sciences, where gradual and subtle transformation of science into technology
can be witnessed. Biotechnology is defined as the application of scientific and engineering
principals to the processing of material by biological agents to provide goods and services.
Biotechnology comprises a number of technologies based upon increasing understanding of
biology at the cellular and molecular level.
References
Biotech: true colors. (2009). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (816), 26–31
Edgar, J.D. (2004). The Colours of Biotechnology: Science, Development and Humankind.
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology,