Transcript History of Biotechnology

History of
Biotechnology
Modified by Georgia Agricultural
Education Curriculum Office
June, 2002
Stages of Biotech
Ancient
Classical
Modern
Ancient Biotech
Begins
with early civilization
Developments in agriculture
and food production
Few records exist
Ancient Biotech
Archeologists
research
Ancient carvings and
sketches sources of
information
Classical Biotech
Follows
ancient
Makes wide spread use of
methods from ancient,
especially fermentation
Methods adapted to
industrial production
Classical Biotech
Produce
large quantities of
food products and other
materials in short amount of
time
Meet demands of increasing
population
Classical Biotech
Many
methods developed
through classical biotech
are widely used today.
Modern Biotech
Manipulation
of genetic
material within organisms
Based on genetics and the
use of microscopy,
biochemical methods,
related sciences and
technologies
Modern Biotech
Often
known as genetic
engineering
Roots involved the
investigation of genes
Ancient Biotech
Not
known when biotech
began exactly
Focused on having food
and other human needs
Ancient Biotech
Useful
plants brought from
the wild, planted near caves
where people lived
As food was available, ability
to store and preserve
emerged
Ancient
Food
preservation most
likely came from
unplanned events such as
a fire or freeze
Domestication
15,000
years ago, large
animals were hard to capture
People only had meat when
they found a dead animal
Came up with ways of
capturing fish and small
animals
Domestication
Food
supplies often
seasonal
Winter food supplies may
get quite low
Domestication is seen by
scientists as the beginning of
biotech
Domestication
Adaptation
of organisms
so they can be cultured
Most likely began 11,000
– 12,000 years ago in the
middle east
Domestication
Involved
the collecting of
seed from useful plants and
growing crude crops from
that seed
Involved the knowledge that
the seed had to properly
mature
Domestication
Proper
planting
Need for water, light and
other conditions for plant
growth
Earliest plants likely grains
and other seeds used for
food
Domestication
Raising
animals in captivity
began about the same time
in history
Easier to have an animal
close by that to hunt and
capture a wild one
Domestication
Learned
that animals
need food and water
Learned about simple
breeding
How to raise young
Domestication
Cattle,
goats and sheep
were the first
domesticated food
animals
Domestication
About
10,000 years ago,
people had learned enough
about plants and animals to
grow their own food
The beginning of farming.
Food
Domestication
resulted in
food supplies being greater
in certain times of the year
Products were gathered and
stored
Food
Some
foods rotted
Others changed form and
continued to be good to eat
Foods stored in a cool cave
did not spoil as quickly
Food
Foods
heated by fire also
did not spoil as quickly
Immersing in sour liquids
prevented food decay
Food preservation
Using
processes that
prevent or slow spoilage
Heating, cooling, keeps
microorganisms (mo’s)
from growing
Food preservation
Stored
in bags of leather or jars
of clay
Fermentation occurs if certain
mo’s are present
Creates an acid condition that
slows or prevents spoilage
Cheese
One
of the first food
products made through
biotechnology
Began some 4,000 years
ago
Nomadic tribes in Asia
Cheese
Strains
of bacteria were
added to milk
Caused acid to form
Resulting in sour milk
Cheese
Enzyme
called “rennet” was
added
Rennet comes from the
lining of the stomachs of
calves
Cheese
Rennet
is genetically
engineered today
Not all cheese is made from
produced rennet
Yeast
Long
used in food
preparation and preservation
Bread baking
Yeast produces a gas in the
dough causing the dough to
rise
Yeast
Fermented
products
Vinegar
Require
the use of yeast in
at least one stage of
production
Yeast
Species
of fungi
Some are useful
Some may cause diseases
Vinegar
Ancient
product used to
preserve food
Juices and extracts from
fruits and grains can be
fermented
Fermentation
Process
in which yeast
enzymes chemically change
compounds into alcohol
In making vinegar the first
product of fermentation is
alcohol
Fermentation
Alcohol
is converted to acetic
acid by additional microbe
activity
Acid gives vinegar a sour taste
Vinegar prevents growth of
some bacteria
Vinegar
Keeps
foods from spoiling
Used in pickling
Biblical references to wine
indicate the use of
fermentation some 3,000
years ago
Fermentation control
In
ancient times, likely
happened by accident
Advancements occurred in
the 1800’s and early 1900’s
Fermenters
Used
to advance
fermentation process
Specially designed chamber
that promotes fermentation
Fermenters
Allowed
better control,
especially with vinegar
New products such as
glycerol, acetone, and citric
acid resulted
Development
Of
yeasts that were
predictable and readily
available led to modern
baking industry
Antibiotics
Use
of fermentation
hastened the development of
antibiotics
A drug used to combat
bacterial infections
Antibiotics
Penicillin
Developed
in the late1920’s
Introduced in the 1940’s
First drug produced
by microbes
Antibiotics
Many
kinds available today
Limitations in their use keep
disease producing
organisms from developing
immunity to antibiotics
Antibiotics
Use
antibiotics only when
needed.
Overuse may make the
antibiotic ineffective when
really needed later
Antibiotics
Some
disease organisms
are now resistant to certain
antibiotics
Used in both human and vet
medicine
Modern Biotech
Deals
with manipulating genetic
info
Microscopy and advanced
computer technology are used
In-depth knowledge of science
Modern Biotech
Based
on genetics research
from the mid 1800’s
Genetics
Study
of heredity
Most work has focused on
animal and plant genetics
Genes – determiners of
heredity
Genes
Carry
the genetic code
Understanding genetic
structure essential for
genetic engineering
Heredity
How
traits are passed from
parents to offspring
Members of the same
species pass the
characteristics of that
species
Heredity
Differences
exist within each
species.
Differences are known as
variability
Heredity &variability
Are
used in modern
biotechnology
Modern Biotech
Use
of biotech to produce
new life forms
Emerged in mid 1900’s
Made possible by rDNA
technology
rDNA
Recombinant
DNA Process
Genetic material is moved
from one organism to
another
Materials involved are quite
small
rDNA
Challenging
and often
controversial
Many have opposing or
negative views of
biotechnolgy
People in Biotech
Zacharias
Janssen
Discovered the principle of
the compound microscope in
1590
Dutch eye glass maker
Anton Van
Leeuwenhoek
Developed
single lens
microscope in 1670’s
First to observe tiny
organisms and document
observations
Anton V.L.
Work
led to modern
microscopes
Electron microscope
developed in 1931 by group
of German scientists
Gregor Mendel
Formulated
basic laws of
heredity during mid 1800’s
Austrian Botanist and monk
Experimented with peas
Mendel
Studied
inheritance of seven
pairs of traits
Bred and crossbred thousands
of plants
Determined that some traits
were dominant and other
recessive
Mendel
Findings
were published in
1866
Largely ignored for 34 years
Johan Friedrich
Miescher
Swiss
Biologist
Isolated nuclei of white blood
cells in 1869
Led to identification of
nucleic acid by Walter
Flemming
Walter Sutton
Determined
in 1903 that
chromosomes carried units of
heredity identified by Mendel
Named “genes” in 1909 by
Wilhelm Johannsen, Danish
Botanist
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Studied
genetics of fruit flies
Early 1900’s
Experimented with eye color
His work contributed to the
knowledge of X and Y
chromosomes
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Nobel
Peace Prize in 1933
for research in gene theory
Ernst Ruska
Build
the first electron
microscope in 1932
German electrical engineer
Microscope offered 400X
magnification
Alexander Fleming
Discovered
penicillin in 1928
First antibiotic drug used in
treating human disease
Observed growth of molds
(Penicillium genus) in a dish
that also contracted bacteria
Alexander Fleming
Bacteria
close to the molds
were dead
Extracting and purifying the
molds took a decade of
research
Penicillin first used in 1941
Alexander Fleming
Penicillin
credited with
saving many lives during
WWII when wounded
soldiers developed
infections.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin
Research
in France and
England in mid 1900’s
Led to discovery of structure
of DNA
Her early research was used
to produce an atomic bomb
Rosalind Franklin
Set
up X ray diffraction lab
Photographs of DNA showed
that it could have a double
helix structure
Rosalind Franklin
Some
questions surround
the theft of her work in 1952
Including x ray photographs
Watson and Crick
James
Watson
Francis Crick
Collaborated to produce the
first model of DNA structure
in 1953
Watson and Crick
Described
DNA dimensions
and spacing of base pairs
Had major impact on genetic
engineering carried out today
Watson
Born
in the US
Crick – born in England
Collaborative research at
Cambridge University in
England
Norman E. Borlaug
 Developed
wheat varieties
producing high yields
 Research in Mexico
 Semi dwarf varieties
 Developed wheat variety that would
grow in climates where other
varieties would not
Borlaug
Nobel
Peace Prize in 1971
Credited with helping relieve
widespread hunger in some
nations
Mary Clare King
Research
into nature of DNA
during late 1900’s
Determined that 99% of
human DNA is identical to
chimpanzee
Mary Clare King
1975
found similar gene
pools between humans and
chimpanzee made it possible
to research hereditary
causes of breast cancer
Ian Wilmut
Cloning
of a sheep named
Dolly in 1997
Produced from tissue of an
adult sheep
Previous cloning efforts had
been from early embryos
Research
Use
of systematic methods
to answer questions.
Problems may be basic or
applied
Basic
Require
generating new info
to gain understanding
Applied – involve use of
knowledge already acquired.
Research
Supplies
facts that can be
used to improve a process or
product
Settings range from
elaborate labs to field plots
Field Plot
Small
area of land that is
used to test questions or
hypothesis
Belief is that same result
would be obtained if carried
out on larger scale
Field Plots
Often
tested several times
Known as replication
Research
Done
by agencies, universities,
private companies, individuals
Biotech research in ag is
carried out by ag experiment
stations and large corporations
Development
Creation
of new products or
methods based on findings
of research
Carefully studied before
being put into full scale use
Development
New
products tested before
approval
Government agencies such as
the FDA are involved
Prototype is developed –
research model that is carefully
tested
Prototype
Becomes
a pattern for the
production of similar
products
After being fully tested, full
scale production begins.