What is Biotechnology?  Bio = Life  Technology = inventions that make life better

Definition  Manipulation of living organisms and organic material to serve human needs.  What are some examples that you can think of?

Another definition  “Any technique that uses living organisms or substances from those organisms to make or modify a product, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific uses” -The Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress

What are the benefits of Biotechnology?  Medicine Human Veterinary Biopharming – production of medicine in organisms such as farm animals and microbes  Environment  Agriculture  Food products  Industry and manufacturing

Why Change an organism?  To get desirable traits  Economic gain  Increase production  Disease resistance

Examples  Crops that are genetically modified to resist pests  Crops that produce materials that have particular qualities

GMO’s  GMO- genetically modified organisms. The natural genetic material of the organism has been altered. Roots in bread making, wine brewing, cheese and yogurt fermentation, and classical plant and animal breeding

Genetic engineering  Manipulation of genes is called genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technology  Genetic engineering involves taking one or more genes from a location in one organism and either Transferring them to another organism Putting them back into the original organism in different combinations

Impact on Society  The Genetically Modified Organism  GMO’s: Good or Bad??? Some countries ban GMO products Are we eating GMO’s Today?

Concerns  Some countries have banned GMO’s and others have turned down food that has been genetically modified.

Countries that have banned GMO’s  Twenty-six countries have banned GMO’s, including Switzerland, Australia, Austria, China, India, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Russia.  Significant restrictions on GMOs exist in about sixty other countries.

Why?  Critics say that genetic engineering may: disrupt the sequence of a food’s genetic code disturb the functions of neighboring genes, which can give rise to potentially toxic or allergenic molecules alter the nutritional value of food produced.

Why?  Key areas of controversy: Should GMO food be labeled? The role of government regulators? The objectivity of scientific research and publication The effect of GM crops on health The environment The effect on pesticide resistance? The impact of GMO crops for farmers? The role of GMO crops in feeding the world population?

Concerns  Transfer of genes to the natural population  Unexpected impact on environment and to other organisms  Expanse of G.E organisms  Safety of foods  Secondary pests  Non-target organisms  Biodiversity

Issues/Concerns  A GMO crop, once released in the open, reproduces via pollination and interacts genetically with natural varieties of the same crop, producing what is called genetic contamination

Issues/Concerns  Insects & weeds can develop resistance, resulting in infestations & new superbugs

Issues  Some groups or individuals see the use of GMO as meddling with biological processes that have naturally evolved over long periods of time  while others are concerned about the limitations of modern science to fully comprehend all of the potential negative ramifications of genetic manipulation. [ [

Safeguards  The Biotech industry is highly regulated  The FDA regulates pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food additives and whole foods.  The USDA approves field tests for genetically altered plants  The EPA regulates production of biotech pesticides, insecticides and fungicides

The genetic connection  Genetics is the biology of heredity Gregor Mendel discovered the effect of genetics on plant characteristics with his experimentation with garden peas He was one of the first scientists to study heredity

Genetics and Biotechnology Heredity is the transmission of characteristics from an organism to its offspring through genes in reproductive cells  Mendel determined that traits could be passed onto offspring and that some traits were dominant over others

Genetics and Biotechnology  These genes are located in the nucleus of the cell and are contributed from each parent.  They are made up of DNA which determines what that cell will become.

Genetics and Biotechnology  In the past, selective breeding was used exclusively to pass on desired genes from parents to their offspring.

It all comes down to DNA  Deoxyribonucleic acid is found in ALL living cells  All DNA is similar in structure and function

DNA Structure  DNA is composed of 2 chains wound around each other in a spiral, called a double helix.  The chains are made up of units called nucleotides.

DNA Structure  The Nucleotide units are made up of a nitrogen base, a sugar and a phosphate group.

Is this a new process?  No, biotechnology has been around since at least ancient Egypt (4000 bc) The use of yeast to make bread rise. Fermentation techniques to make wine

History of Biotechnology  Early civilizations also used bacteria to produce cheese and enzymes to produce yogurt.

Major event timeline  1972 – three scientists developed a modified DNA molecule by transplanting or recombining DNA from two different organisms.

Major events timeline  1980’s numerous medicines were developed to help patients with AIDS, stroke, heart disease, asthma, cancer Diagnostic tests were developed for pregnancy, AIDS, Cancer and other conditions

Major events timeline  1982 – The first biotech drug, human insulin, was approved for sale. Insulin occurs naturally in most human beings. A lack of insulin production results in Diabetes. Prior to 1982, insulin was harvested from blood of other animals (expensive) Human insulin was developed by moving an insulin gene from a human cell to cells of a bacterium (E.coli)  Higher supply of insulin and less expensive

Major Events Timeline  1988 Congress funded the Human Genome Project – one of the most ambitious undertakings of the biotech community. Purpose – decode the entire genetic sequence of humans Completed in 12 years

Major Events Timeline  1990’s In Vitro testing technique unveiled Flavrsavr tomato produced, first whole food produced through biotechnology First mammal cloned, Dolly the sheep Commercial genetically modified crops grown worldwide reach 5 million acres

Major Events Timeline  2000’s Genetically modified crops growth reaches 122 million acres in more than 18 countries First complete food plant, rice, is sequenced Japanese develop a biotech coffee bean that is naturally decaffeinated

Major Events Timeline  2000’s Bioethanol for commercial biofuel production is achieved in Canada California votes pass Proposition 71 supporting embryonic stem cell research

Major Events Timeline  2001 Rice genome sequenced, the first food plant genome, which could help create nutrient rich rice to help feed people in developing countries “Golden Rice”

What Did These Individuals Contribute to Biotechnology?  Anton van Leeuwenhoek  Discovered cells Bacteria Protists Red blood

What Did These Individuals Contribute to Biotechnology?  Gregor Johan Mendel  Discovered genetics

What Did These Individuals Contribute to Biotechnology?  James Watson and Francis Crick  Discovered DNA

What Did These Individuals Contribute to Biotechnology?  Ian Wilmut  Created the first cloned mammal, the Dorset ewe Dolly

The Science Behind Biotechnology

Gene Mapping  Used to determine which genes are responsible for certain traits and their locations  It is the first step in isolating a gene.  Offers evidence that a disease transmitted from parent to child is linked to one or more genes.

Gene Mapping  Genetic maps have been used successfully to find the single gene responsible for rare inherited disorders, like cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.  Guiding scientists to the many genes that are believed to interact to bring about more common disorders, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and psychiatric conditions.

Gene Mapping – how?  Blood or tissue samples.  Scientists isolate DNA from a sample and examine it for the unique patterns of bases seen only in family members who have the disease or trait.  These characteristic molecular patterns are referred to as markers.

Gene Mapping – how?  DNA markers can tell them roughly where the gene is on the chromosome.

Genetic Markers?  Markers can tell a researcher the identity of the person a DNA sample came from.  This makes markers extremely valuable for tracking inheritance of traits through generations of a family,  Useful in criminal investigations and forensic science

Genetic Engineering  Once the genes are located, scientists can use genetic engineering to move genes from one cell to another  This is done through the use of gene splicing

Gene Splicing  You can also take an undesirable trait and replace it with a desirable trait  Scientists use bacterial or viral Vectors to carry the new gene into the organism

Importance of Recombinant DNA  Improve plants and animals performance through the manipulation of genes  Alter characteristics or performance of microorganisms

Importance of Recombinant DNA  Control Insects, disease, weeds and other pests through genetic engineering.  Less use of chemical pesticides and more genetic use of biological controls result in a safer environment.

The future?  Scientists have recently extracted DNA from the fur of mammoths that died 50,000 years ago  Endangered species populations  Nanobiotechnology  Embryonic stem cells?  Cloning humans?  Designer babies?