Transcript Biotechnology Unlocking the secrets of life

Biotechnology
Unlocking the secrets of life
What is Biotechnology?
 Definition:
The use of living organisms to
make or improve a product
– Bio (life)
– technology (the application
of knowledge for practical
use
Where did it begin?
 Ancient bread baking
 Wine brewing
 Cheese making
 Yogurt fermentation
 Animal and plant breeding
Biotechnology Today
 Focuses on how to change
microorganisms, plants and
animals
 Scientist isolated and made
changes to DNA in the early 1970’s
– DNA carries the “Blueprint”
– Genes are units of DNA
Techniques
Gene Mapping
Tissue Culture
Biofermentation
Biotechnology
Cloning
Gene Transfer
Gene Mapping
Genetic Engineering
 Manipulation of genes is called
genetic engineering or
recombinant DNA technology
 Removes gene(s) from one
organism and either:
– Transfers them to another
– Puts them back in the original with a
different combination
 Transgenic
Techniques
 Genetic Mapping
– Locating specific genes within heredity
material
 Tissue Culture
– Modified cells can grow into whole plants
 Biofermentation
– Mass production of modified
microorganisms
 Cloning
– Reproducing genetically identical animals
Biotechnology in Agriculture
(Plants)
 Crops
– Built in insect and herbicide resistance
– Built in tolerance to environmental
conditions
– Improved color and quality
 Pharmaceuticals
– Plants that produce edible vaccines
 Food
– Improved taste and nutrition
– Improved handling qualities
Biotechnology in Agriculture
(Plants)
 Industrial
– plants that produce plastics, fuels,
and other products
– plants for environmental cleanup
 Other
– pesticides made from naturallyoccurring microorganisms and insects
Biotechnology in Agriculture
(Animals)
 Breeding
– Disease tolerance
– Exact copies of desired stock
– Increased yields
 Health
– Microorganisms introduced into feed for
beneficial purposes
– Diagnostics for disease and pregnancy
detection
– Animals engineered to to produce organs
suitable for transplantation into humans
Biotechnology in Agriculture
(Animals)
 Food
– Increased milk production
– leaner meat in pork
– growth hormones in farm-raised fish that
result in earlier market-ready fish
 Pharmaceuticals
– Animals engineered to produce human
proteins for drugs, including insulin and
vaccines
Assignment
Develop a timeline of events outlining
advances in the field of biotechnology.
You may use the World Wide Web in the
Career Center to search for these
events.
Your timeline should have at lease five
events.
The search engine www.google.com is a
good start.
History of Biotechnology
 1860’s-Botanist Gregor Mendel
recognizes heredity information is
stored in units (now called genes)
 1870’s-chromosomes are
discovered
 1953-DNA Double Helix is
discovered by James Watson and
Francis Crick (England)
History of Biotechnology
 1968-a process was developed for
identifying chromosomes
(Switzerland)
 1973-First successful combining of
DNA from unrelated organisms
(recombinant DNA) (USA)
 1978-First test tube baby (Louise
Brown) was born in England
History of Biotechnology
 1984-Sheep and goat embryo cells
are fused together to create a
sheep-goat
 1986-Light-producing gene of
firefly is transferred to tobacco
creating tobacco plants with
glowing leaves
 1987-calf cloned from an embryo
History of Biotechnology
 1991-sheep created that makes
drug in milk to treat cystic fibrosis
 1994-first transgenic food
approved (Flvr Savr) tomato
 1996-goat injected with a human
gene produces an anticancer drug
 1997-Adult sheep cloned (“Dolly”)
Industry
 In 1998 there were 1,300
biotechnology companies in the
Unites States
– small start up companies
• one product or service
– large multinational corporations
• combine research and production
Industry
 In 1997 the overall
biotechnology sales
increases 20%
 13 billion dollar
industry
 Over 93 billion
dollars invested
Careers
 In 1998 biotechnology included
about 140,000 jobs
 Jobs for high school graduates to
PhD’s
 Provides over 17,000 jobs in North
Carolina
– $850 million dollar payroll
Career Examples
 Laboratory work
– working on gene maps
– growing plants from cells
– working with animal embryos
 Experimental Farms
 Field jobs
 Industry jobs
– manufacturing
– regulatory affairs (FDA, USDA)
– sales
Education
 High School Courses
– Basic Biology
– Agriculture
– Biotechnology
 Post-secondary
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Biology
Microbiology
Genetics
Biochemistry
Education
 North Carolina has an online
biotechnology center
– Information on NC Biotechnology
– Educational Opportunities
– News
– Hot Topics
www.ncbiotech.org/
Assignment
 Research two different careers related
to biotechnology
 Find information regarding:
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Salary
Education
Job Description
Job Demand
 Write a one paragraph summary for
each career
 Keep the summaries in your notes