Transcript Introduction to Biotech

It’s the year 2050
Imagine it is 2050…….
Anything is possible….
Why not?
Your personal
clone is…..
•At school while you are
sleeping
•Is working while you are
hanging out with friends
•Is doing the laundry while
you are watching TV
•Is doing everything you
don’t want to do……
What is in your fridge in 2050?
Eggplants, anyone?
Melon grapes?
Neurodegenerative disorders are
now treatable
A Canavan Disease patient goes home after gene therapy
Goodbye global warming!
Bioengineered algae are now the standard fuel
Biotechnology: Endless possibilities
and countless issues
Biotechnology is…………………………….?
When I think of biotechnology, I think of………?
Biotechnology defined
• Many different definitions exist
• E.g. The use of living organisms or their products for
the welfare of humanity.
• E.g. The use of scientific techniques to improve or
modify plants, animals and microorganisms.
• Does biotechnology = genetic engineering?
Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field, which
has resulted from the blending of approaches
from many different disciplines.
Biotechnology draws on which disciplines?
Biotechnology (old:new)
Traditional vs. Modern biotechnology
For example, fermentation is an older
biotechnology while cloning is recent.
The oldest application of biotechnology dates back to
about 8000 B.C. – beer brewing in ancient Babylon.
Traditional biotechnology
Crossbreeding plants or animals – selecting
desirable genes from one generation to
another
Microbial fermentation – making wine, yoghurt,
cheeses and breads
Enzymes as food additives – e.g. papain from
papaya to tenderize meat and clarify
beverages
What is the difference?
Traditional breeding differs from genetic
engineering:
• Traditional breeding is between the same or
closely related species.
• No control and hundreds of genes are worked on
at a time.
• Traditional breeding takes a long time.
Traditional vs. New biotech
Traditional examples?
Slight dilemna in tasting the cheese
New examples?
Biotechnology around us
• Some examples in our daily lives?
• health, agriculture, aquaculture, environment,
forestry, biomass, etc.