Biotechnology: Science, Technology and Society

Biotechnology
Science, Technology and Society

1.1 What Is Biotechnology and
What Does It Mean to You?
• Biotechnology – using living organisms, or the
products of living organisms, for human benefit
to make a product or solve a problem
•
• Historical Examples
•
• Fermentation
• Selective breeding
• Use of antibiotics
1.1 What Is Biotechnology and What
Does It Mean to You?
• Example of Biotechnology – Selective Breeding
Normal zebrafish "Casper" zebrafish – made by selec

1.1 What Is Biotechnology and
What Does It Mean to You?
• Modern Examples
•
• Gene cloning
• Genetic engineering
• Recombinant DNA technology
• Human Genome Project
• Example of "modern" biotechnology:

•
• recombinant DNA technology started modern

biotech as an industry
• Examples of applications
•
• development of disease-resistant plants

• food crops that produce greater yields
• "golden rice" engineered to be more nutritious
• genetically engineered bacteria that can
degrade environmental pollutants
•
Look at the two chromosomes and determine which
chromosome has more than one gene involved in
promoting breast cancer.
•
•
• Most drugs are developed to combat diseases affecting
humans.
• Use genetically modified cultured cells to make protein of interest
• Products of Modern Biotechnology
•
• Example of proteins created by gene cloning called recombinant proteins

1.2 Types of Biotechnology
• Microbial Biotechnology
• Agricultural Biotechnology
• Animal Biotechnology
• Forensic Biotechnology
• Bioremediation
• Aquatic Biotechnology
• Medical Biotechnology
• Regulatory Biotechnology
• Microbial Biotechnology – manipulation of microorganisms such as
yeast and bacteria
•
• Create better enzymes

• More efficient decontamination processes for industrial waste product
removal
• Used to clone and produce large amounts of important proteins used
in human medicine
•
• United Nations Food and Agricultural Org. predicts by

2050, we will need to feed a world population of 9.1
billion! This requires raising food production by
approximately 70%!
•
• Plants more environmentally friendly that yield more per acre

(genetically engineered)
• Resistance to diseases and insects
• Foods with higher protein or vitamin content
• Drugs developed and grown as plant products
• These better plants ultimately reduce production costs to help
feed the growing world population
•
• Animals as a source of medically valuable proteins

•
• Antibodies
•
Transgenic animals
• Animals as important models in basic research
•
•
Gene "knockout" experiments
•
Design and testing of drugs and genetic therapies
•
Animal cloning
•
•
Source of transplant organs
•
• Transgenic animal: way to achieve large

scale production of therapeutic proteins
from animals for use in humans
• Female transgenic animals express
therapeutic proteins in milk (contains
genes from another source)
• Example: human genes coding for clotting
proteins can be introduced into female
goats for production of these proteins in
their milk
•
• Gene knockout:
•
• Disrupt a gene in the animal and then look at

what functions are affected in the animal as a
result of the loss of the gene
• This allows researchers to determine the role
and function of the gene
• Since humans are similar to rats and mice, gene
knockout studies in rats and mice can lead to
better understanding of gene function in
humans.
• Forensic Biotechnology
•
• DNA fingerprinting
•
• Inclusion or exclusion of a person from suspicion

• Paternity cases
• Identification of human remains
• Endangered species
• Tracking and confirmation of the spread of disease
• Bioremediation
•
• The use of biotechnology to process and degrade a variety of

natural and manmade substances
•
• Particularly those that contribute to environmental pollution

• Example – stimulated growth of bacteria that degrade components
in crude oil
•
• 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska

• 2010 Deep Water Horizon spill promoted research into natural oil-
degrading organisms and enzymes
• Bioremediation – adding nutrients to
stimulate growth of bacteria to clean up oil
spill
•
• Aquaculture – raising finfish or shellfish in controlled

conditions for use as food sources
•
• 50% of all fish consumed by humans worldwide

• Genetic engineering
•
• Disease-resistant strains of oysters

•
Vaccines against viruses that infect salmon and other finfish
• Transgenic salmon that overproduce growth hormone
transgenic
normal
• Medical Biotechnology
•
• Involved with the whole spectrum of human medicine

•
• Preventive medicine
• Diagnosis of health and illness
• Treatment of human diseases
• New information from Human Genome Project
•
• Gene therapy
• Stem cell technologies
• Stem cells – grown in lab and then

treated with different chemicals to
allow them to develop into specific
kinds of tissues needed for
transplant
•
• Current use: stem cells are used for

diabetes; spinal cord injuries
1.3 Biological Challenges of the 21st Century
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives
in the years ahead?
•
• Human Genome Project

•
• Research on the function of human genes and

controlling factors that regulate genes
• Human proteome
•
• Collection of proteins responsible for activity in a

human cell
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in

the years ahead?
•
• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)

•
• Single nucleotide changes (mutations) in DNA sequences

that vary from individual to individual
• These variations are the cause of some genetic diseases
(sickle cell anemia)
• SNPs will help identify genes involved in medical
conditions including arthritis, stroke, cancer, heart
disease, diabetes, and behavioral and emotional
illnesses
Example of SNPs and breast cancer
• Identification of SNPs in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
involved in promoting breast cancer led to development
of better targeted treatments for people who have those
specific gene mutations
• Example of how we can benefit from the human genome

project
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in the years ahead?
•
• Pharmacogenomics is customized medicine

•
• Tailor-designing drug therapy and treatment strategies based on the

genetic profile of a patient
•
•
Do microarray analysis and then design drugs against genes that are mutated for
an individual patient
• Metabolomics
•
•
A snapshot of the small molecules produced during cellular metabolism
•
•
Glucose, cholesterol, ATP, and signaling molecules
• Can distinguish between disease process and physiological adaptation
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in the
years ahead?
•
• Nanotechnology
•
• Applications that incorporate extremely small devices

• Small particles that can deliver drugs to cells
• Gene therapy technology
•
• Replacing or augmenting defective genes with normal

copies of the gene
•
• Still have barriers to overcome before this technology

becomes safe and effective
• Obstacles include:
•
• How can normal genes be delivered to virtually all cells in

the body?
• What are the long-term effects of introducing extra genes
in humans?
• What must be done to ensure the proper protein is made
after the genes are delivered to the body?
• Stem cell technology
•
• Stem cells are immature cells that grow and

divide to produce different cell types
• Most stem cells are from embryos called
embryonic stem cells (ESCs) but they are
controversial since the process involves death of
an embryo
• Some stem cells are from adult cells (ASCs)
•
• Either type of stem cell can be coaxed to grow into

cells of interest to replace damaged tissue or failing
organs (liver, pancreas, retina)
•
© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

st
1.3 Biotechnology in the 21
Century
1.3 Biological Challenges of
the 21st Century
• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in
the years ahead?
•
•
Regenerative medicine
•
• Genetically modifying stem cells of patients to treat

genetic disease conditions
• In future scientists will be able to…
• 1. Isolate adult stem cells from a patient with a
• genetic disorder
• 2. Genetically manipulate these cells by gene therapy
approaches
• 3. Reinsert the cells into the same patient to help
treat their genetic disease

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Biotechnology

Science, Technology and Society

Normal zebrafish "Casper" zebrafish – made by selec

• Example of "modern" biotechnology:

• recombinant DNA technology started modern

• development of disease-resistant plants

• Example of proteins created by gene cloning called recombinant proteins

• Create better enzymes

• United Nations Food and Agricultural Org. predicts by

• Plants more environmentally friendly that yield more per acre

• Animals as a source of medically valuable proteins

• Transgenic animal: way to achieve large

• Disrupt a gene in the animal and then look at

• Inclusion or exclusion of a person from suspicion

• The use of biotechnology to process and degrade a variety of

• Particularly those that contribute to environmental pollution

• 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska

• Aquaculture – raising finfish or shellfish in controlled

• 50% of all fish consumed by humans worldwide

• Disease-resistant strains of oysters

• Involved with the whole spectrum of human medicine

• Stem cells – grown in lab and then

• Current use: stem cells are used for

• Human Genome Project

• Research on the function of human genes and

• Collection of proteins responsible for activity in a

• How will medical biotechnology change our lives in

• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)

• Single nucleotide changes (mutations) in DNA sequences

• Example of how we can benefit from the human genome

• Pharmacogenomics is customized medicine

• Tailor-designing drug therapy and treatment strategies based on the

• Applications that incorporate extremely small devices

• Replacing or augmenting defective genes with normal

• Still have barriers to overcome before this technology

• How can normal genes be delivered to virtually all cells in

• Stem cells are immature cells that grow and

• Either type of stem cell can be coaxed to grow into

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

• Genetically modifying stem cells of patients to treat

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