1. Title: Biotechnology basics Homework: read pages 160-161 and make notes for Thursday

2. Learning Outcomes Candidates should be able to: (a)state that biotechnology is the industrial use of living organisms (or parts of living organisms) to produce food, drugs or other products (HSW6a); (b) explain why microorganisms are often used in biotechnological processes;

3. Purpose of biotechnological processes Production of: – Food – Drugs and other pharmaceuticals – Enzymes / chemicals for commercial use – Bioremediation of waste products

4. Food and biotechnology

5. Examples of foodOrganisms involved Cheese and yoghurt Bacterial growth in milk changes flavour and texture of milk to generate different food. These bacteria prevent others that cause food spoilage and therefore preserve food Mycoprotein (quorn) Growth of specific fungus in culture. The fungal mycelium produced is separated and processed as food Natrurally brewed soya sauce Roasted soya beans are fermented with yeast or fungi such as Aspergillus.

6. Drugs and biotechnology

7. Example of productOrganisms involved Penicillin, an antibiotic medicine Penicillium (a fungus) grown in culture produces the antibiotic as a by-product of its metabolism Insulin, a hormone Bacteria (E.coli) are genetically modified to carry human insulin gene. Organisms secrete the insulin protein as they grow

8. Chemicals and biotechnology

9. Example of productOrganisms involved Pectinase (used in fruit juice extraction) Fungus (A. niger) grown in certain conditions produces and secretes pectinase enzyme Calcium citrate (used in detergents) Fungus (A. niger) produces citric acid as a by-product of its normal metabolism Bio-gas fuel production Methanogenic bacteria, grown in concentrated sewage, respire anaerobically and generate gases that can be used as fuel

10. Water treatment and biotechnology

11. Example of productOrganisms involved Waste water treatment Variety of bacteria and fungi use organic waste in the water as nutrients and make the waste harmless e.g. Fusarium grown on corn steep liquor, a waste product pf the corn milling industry

12. Tip (b) explain why microorganisms are often used in biotechnological processes; Don’t just say things like “cheap” or “easy to grow” Give an example and then explain why it is an important technique/feature

13. The use or microorganisms in biotechnology Bacteria and fungi are used in various processes because: – Grow rapidly: one generation can multiply in as little as 30 minutes – Can produce proteins/chemicals given to surroundings that can be harvested – Genetically engineered to produced specific products – Grow well at lower temperatures - lower than chemical engineering or similar – Not dependant on climate – any lab in the world! – Tends to generate more products that are purer compared to those generated by chemical means – Can often be grown using nutrient materials that would be otherwise useless or even toxic to humans

14. 8 MARKS FOR THIS QUESTION

16. Questions Complete textbook questions on page 159