Futures in Biotechnology Kirk Brown Tracy High School

Science Fiction to Science Fact Congenital Generalized Hypertrichosis (CGH) Xq24-q27.1

Technology is Rapidly Changing What was once science fiction is now science fact.

What is Biotechnology? New technology related to living things Producing a product from one organism in another.

Students Extracting DNA

Human Genome Project Progress Toward HGP Sequencing Goals: Working draft sequence Goal: 100% by summer 2000 Finished, high quality sequence: Goal: 100% by % (586,045,000 bases) (04/15/00) Working draft sequence Finished, high quality sequence:

Chromosomal Technology Karyotype Simple stain Done by Hand Pictures cut out and pasted on a piece of paper.

Chromosomal Technology Chromosomal Painting Can show changes in chromosome structure.

Chromosomal Technology Spectral Karyotyping Each Chromosome can have its own color. In the near future each gene can have its own color.

New Genetic Testing Technology Affymetrix DNA Chip Hundreds of Tests at a time. The results are scanned by a laser and fed into a computer.

The Future Needs a Skilled Workforce. Computers to Help in Analyzing Large Sets of Data. A workforce that can understand what is being tested.

Computers as tools All the information that is being gathered must be cataloged and entered before it can accessed by researchers.

Automated Analysis Once a DNA sample is prepared it can be compared to all other samples in the database.

Computer Analysis Confirming the Romanov Familys mtDNA sequence.

New Discoveries Bring More Choices As progress is made in biotechnology, people have more information regarding themselves. Are they ready for the choices?

Imaging Technology PET Scan Computers and machines are directly linked. MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging also relies on computers.

Analysis and Production of Standards.

New Procedures Lead to New Technology New Sequencing Technology has driven the need for a skilled workforce.

Everyone Should Understand the Issues Generated by Biotechnology

Impacts to Education All areas of the curriculum are impacted. Students become teachers in some cases.

THS Student Laboratory Work: Inserting a gene from one organism into another. DNA fingerprinting to identify different bacterial plasmids. Fish Fingerprinting to determine relationships. Enzyme studies to determine cost effective methods of making sugar. Analyzing areas of our own chromosomes by PCR. Etc…

Discoveries Happen in the weirdest places! Deep in the ocean is were organisms dont rely on light or other organic sources.

Questions?