Plant biotechnology involves manipulating plant genes to improve economically important plant species. It chiefly involves introducing foreign genes into plants to change their characteristics and produce novel products, resulting in crop improvement. Some key applications of plant biotechnology include increasing pest and chemical resistance in crops, improving disease resistance and food yield, making plants more suitable to various environmental conditions, and enhancing nutritional quality. Current biotechnology research and development in Ethiopia is still lagging behind and focuses on conventional techniques like plant tissue culture rather than modern recombinant DNA applications.

1. Plant
biotechnology
Applications of
Biotechnology
4
Historical
development
of biotechnology
2
Definition of
biotechnology
1
Branches of
biotechnology
3
5
Biotechnology in
Ethiopia

2. • Biotechnology is product of interaction between the sciences of biology
and technology.
• it is branch of sciences in which living things are used to make new
product.
• it is the use of living organisms or process to make products useful for
mankind.
• term of biotechnology coined by a Hungarian engineer Karl Ereky in
1917.
• Modern Biotechnology started in California during 1970"s
Biotechnology

3. Some selected definitions of biotechnology
CLASSIC: The word "biotechnology" was first used in 1917 to
describe processes using living organisms to make a product or
run a process, such as industrial fermentative. (Robert Bud, The Uses
of Life: A History of Biotechnology)
LAYMAN: Biotechnology began when humans began to plant
their own crops, domesticate animals, ferment juice into wine,
make cheese, and leaven bread

4. Some selected definitions of biotechnology
GENENTECH: Biotechnology is the process of harnessing 'nature's
own’ biochemical tools to make possible new products and processes
and provide solutions to society's ills (G. Kirk Raab, Former President
and CEO of Genentech)
WEBSTER’S: The aspect of technology concerned with the
application of living organisms to meet the needs of man.
WALL STREET: Biotechnology is the application of genetic engineering and DNA
technology to produce therapeutic and medical diagnostic products and processes

5. Biotech companies have one thing in common –
• the use of genetic engineering and manipulation of organisms
at a molecular level.
• Using scientific methods with organisms to produce new
products or new forms of organisms
Biotechnology defined by FAO
‘Any technological application that uses biological systems,
living organisms, to make or modify products or processes for
specific use

6. What is plant biotechnology
Plant Biotechnology is a process to produce a genetically
modified plant by removing genetic information from an
organism, manipulating it in the laboratory and then
transferring it into a plant to change certain of its
characteristics
It chiefly involves the introduction of foreign genes into economically
important plant species, resulting in crop improvement and the
production of novel products in plants.

7. What is plant biotechnology
 Today, biotechnology is being used as a tool to give plants
new traits that benefit agricultural production, the
environment, and human nutrition and health
 Biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make
production cheaper and more manageable.
• For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to
tolerate specific herbicides, which make weed control simpler and
more efficient.

8. What is plant biotechnology
• The application of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted in
benefits to farmers, producers, and consumers.
• Plant biotechnology enables farmers worldwide to boost the
profitability, productivity and sustainability of their farms.
Today plant biotechnology encompasses two major areas
plant tissues culture
plant genetic engineering

9. Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary in nature, involving input from
Engineering
agricultural
Agricultural bioechnology
Food technology engineering
food processing and
preservation methods,
Microbiology
Computer sceince
Biochemistry
Immunology
Recombinant DNA tech
Genetic engineering
Industrial biotechnology
Bioinformatics
Bioprocess Eng
maintaining overall
health.
bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
parasites.
chemical processes and
reactions
chemical Eng and biology to
design

10. What are stages of Biotechnology
Ancient of Biotechnology
• early history as related to food and shelter,
including domestication
Modern Biotechnology
• manipulates genetic information in organism
and genetic engineering
Classic Biotechnology
• built on ancient biotechnology
• fermentation promoted food production
• medicine

11. Ancient of Biotchnology
History of domestication and agriculture
• Ancient biotechnology refers to the early practices and applications of
biotechnology by ancient civilizations
• Followed by domestication of plants and animals (artificial selection) → People
settled, sedentary lifestyles evolved (~10,000 yrs. ago)
• Cultivation of wheat, barley and rye (seed collections)
• Sheep and goats → milk, cheese, button and meat
• Grinding stones for food preparation
• New technology → Origins of Biotechnology → Agrarian Societies

12. Ancient of Biotchnology
Fermented foods and beverages
Long history of fermented foods since people began to settle (9000 BC) (fervere –to boil)
• Often discovered by accident!
• Improved flavor and texture
• Deliberate contamination with bacteria or fungi (molds)
example
• Wine
• Beer
• sauerkrau
• Bread
• Yogurt
• Sour Cream
• cheese

13. Ancient of Biotchnology
• Earlier, hunting was a common practice for food gathering, and eating
raw meat was ordinary.
• It took time to understand the importance of fire, clean water, shelter, and
definitely agriculture.
• Yeast is considered as one of the oldest microbes which were exploited to
benefit humans for making bread, vinegar, alcohols like whiskey, wine, or
beer.
• examples of biotechnology was the mule which was the result of
crossbreeding a male donkey and a female horse

14. Classic of Biotchnology
• Classical biotechnology represents the historical practices and knowledge that
laid the foundation for modern biotechnology.
• G. J. Mendel discovered the basis for the transfer of genetic information in his
experiment on pea plants. And published his results in 1865 as the ‘Laws of
Inheritance’.
• By the time R. Brown was successful in discovering the nucleus in cells and F. Miescher
(1868) reported nuclein which consisted of nucleic acid.
• Fleming discovered antibiotics when he noticed that one microorganism kills the other and
he succeeded in discovering penicillin which could be used against many infectious
diseases

15. Classic of Biotchnology
• Chemical transformations to produce therapeutic products
• Microbial synthesis of other commercially valuable products
Amino acids to improve food taste, quality or preservation
• Enzymes and Vitamins, Pigments
examples of classical biotechnology application
• Fermentation
• Traditional Medicines
• Cheese and Yogurt Production
• Bread Making:

16. Modern Biotchnology
Structure, organization and reproduction
Synthesis of organic compounds
Cell extracts for fermentation (enzymes versus whole cells)
Resurrection of Gregor Mendel’s findings → 1866 → 1900s
Theory of Inheritance (ratios dependent on traits of parents
Theory of Transmission factors
Chromosomes = inheritance factorsW.H. Sutton – 1902
– Drosophila melanogaster
Cell biology
Biochemistry
Genetics
W.H. Sutton – 1902
T.H. Morgan

17. Genetic engineering and recombinant DNA
technology
Biopharmaceutical production: Advancements in drug
development
Stem cell research and regenerative medicine
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs):
Techniques like marker-assisted selection (MAS) and
genomic selection
Gene Editing
biofuels production: Advancing renewable
energy sources
Modern
Biotechnology

18. study of genes, heredity,
and variation in living
organisms.
Genetics
create novel applications and devices
at the nanoscale for various
biological and medical purposes.
Nanobiotechnology
parts of organisms can be used
to clean up pollution in soil,
water or air.
Bioremediation
Modern
biotechnology
4
3
5
2
6
1
a powerful technology used to analyze
the expression levels of thousands of
genes simultaneously.
DNA microarrays
Introducing foreign genes
into an organism.
transgenesis
DNA profiling in identifying
In DNA samples at crime or
parentage
Forensic

19. 1750
Chinese use moldy
soybean curds as
an antibiotic to
treat boils
Janssen invents
the microscope
The Sumerians brew
beer
Proteins are
discovered
Leeuwenhoek
discovers cells
(bacteria, red
blood cells)
The first enzymes
are isolated
183
3
1850
500
bc
159
0 167
5
1750 bc

20. 1855
The
Eschirium
coli
bacterium is
discovered
1859
Charles
Darwin
publishes On
the Origin of
Species
1864
Louis Pasteur
shows all living
things are
produced by
other living
things
1865
The age of
genetics
begins
1902
Walter Sutton
coins the term
‘gene’ -
proposed that
chromosomes
carry genes
1973
Recombinant
DNA
technology
begins
195
3
The double helix
is unravelled
1910
Chromosomal
theory of
inheritance
proved
1928
Fleming
discovers
antibiotic
properties of
certain molds
1975
DNA
sequencing
discovered

21. History of Biotechnology
1993
1996
1997
2001
1998
197
8
197
8
198
9
199
0
199
0
The Human Genome Project begins
First use of gene therapy
Kary Mullis discovers PCR
First product of RDNA technology
introduced
FDA announces that transgenic
food is safe
First artificial chromosome
Human embryonic stem cells
grown
First mammal cloned from
adult cells
Human genome project
complete
Genentech use genetic engineering to
produce human insulin in E.coli -
1980 IPO of $89

22. bioremediation wastewater treatment, and
the development of sustainable technologies
for waste management.
Environmental Biotechnology
production of biofuels, biodegradable
plastics, enzymes, and chemicals using
microorganisms
Industrial Biotechnology:
Pharmaceutical production, Gene therapy,
molecular diagnostic, tissue engineering,
Drug Discovery and Development:
Medical biotechnology
Genetic Modification of Crops, Crop
Improvement, Disease and Pest Control, Crop
Protection and Artificial insemination
Agricultural Biotechnology
Branches and
components of
Biotechnology

23. develop materials and devices at the
nanoscale for biomedical applications, drug
delivery systems, and diagnostics.
Nanobiotechnology
use of microorganisms, such as bacteria,
fungi, and yeast, for various applications
Microbial biotechnology
combines biology, computer science, to
analyze and interpret biological data.
Bioinformatics
To develop and produce therapeutic
proteins, vaccines, and other
pharmaceutical products.
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
Branches and
components of
Biotechnology
use of marine organisms and their
derivatives for various applications.
Marine Biotechnology:

24. Branches and components of Biotechnology
application of biotechnology in
the production, processing, and
preservation of food
Food Biotechnology
focuses on the manipulation
and modification of whole
organisms to achieve specific
goals.
Organismal biotechnology
techniques and tools in forensic
investigations and criminal
justice. It involves DNA
analysis, genetic profiling, and
forensic identification
Forensic Biotechnology
focuses on the manipulation and
application of biological
molecules, such as DNA, RNA,
and proteins, to develop new
technologies, products, and
therapies.
Molecular Biotechnology

25. Application of biotechnology
Medical biotechnology
• Diognostics
• Therapeutics
• Vaccines
Agricultural biotechnology
• Plant agriculture
• Farm
• Food processing
Enviromental Biotechnology
• Cleaning throug
bioremedation
• Preventing Enviromental
problem
Industrial biotechnology
• Energy production
• New material
F
Forensic biotechnology
• Paternaty test
• Scientic envistigation
• Crime investigation

26. Agriculture
Biotech application
Health’ Care
Environment
s
Industry
GM planting mats and hybrids
micropropagation
Bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides
Animal environments
Enzymes
Fermentation based product and food
Biotech instruments & equipment’s
bioenergy & bio-fuels
r-DNA products, vaccines ,
diagnostics, monoclonal Antibodies
Stem cells
Tissues specifics delivery methods
Soil and water remediation
Biosafety and GMOs

28. Application of biotechnology in food industry
• Food biotechnology is the application of technology to modify genes of animals,
plants and micro organisms to create new species which have desired production,
marketing or nutrition related properties.
• Biotechnology include wide range of diverse technology and they may applied in
each of different in food and agriculture sectors
• Biotechnology in food processing plays an important role in food fermentation,
food additive and processing aids and food safety
• biotechnology in food processing sector targets the selection and improvements of
micro organisms with objective of improving process control, yields and efficiency
as well as the quality, safety and consistency of bioprocessed products

29. Example
Emulsifiers
is predominantly used as an emulsifier in the food industry due to its
emulsifying and stabilization properties. Using new molecular tools,
emulsifiers are now synthesized from covalently coupled
carbohydrates like starch, pectin, sugar and proteins from wheat, milk
and soya bean.
Peanut Allergy Testing:
Many people have been found to display allergic reactions after eating
peanuts. To combat this problem, it is essential to identify the cause of
this allergy

30. example
Effective Monitoring:
• Scientists are developing versatile gastrointestinal models for detailed
monitoring of digestibility, bioconversion and biodegradability of foods and
drugs and contaminants from the point of safety and functionality. These
models are now used for studying the digestive effect of nutraceutical foods
Calcium Intake:
• One of the most important and innovative applications of biotechnology is
to improve the calcium level in our foodstuff Researchers have shown that
oligo-fructose, a naturally occurring, low-digestible oligosaccharide,
increases calcium absorption by as much as twenty two per cent.
Food from Microbes:
• While brewing and baking have existed for ages, we are now using
genetically pure strains in the process. Studies show that nearly 1.5 million
tons of bakers’ yeast {Saccharomyces cervisiae) is produced throughout the
world every year. Modern plants have also reduced the time required in the
fermentation process from months to days.

31. Application of biotechnology in pharmaceutical industry
• Manufacturing of vaccines: Every pharmaceutical company
aims at producing products that can help tackle severe health
problems and benefit the society in a major way.
• Biotechnology has successfully found cure for numerous
diseases including cardiovascular disorders, arthritis,
Hepatitis B, bone fractures etc.
• The production costs of biotech based products are cheaper
and this is a major reason why the pharma industry embraced
this technology and has made it an indispensable part of its
own self.

32. Example
Gene therapy
The most common form of gene therapy involves using
DNA that encodes a functional, therapeutic gene to replace a
mutated gene.
Human
serum Albumin:
It is one of the most common blood proteins used in
the treatment of shock injuries such as burns.
Engineered Enzymes:
are used to treat a range of conditions from cardiac
diseases to renal failure, and inherited enzyme
deficiencies.
Anti-haemophilic
Factor
It is an important material purified from human blood,
and used in the treatment of haemophilia.
Insulin It is an important hormone regulating glucose levels

33. Application Of Biotechnology In Agri Industry
Many forms of human-derived agriculture clearly fit the broad definition
of "'utilizing a biotechnological system to make products". Indeed, the
cultivation of plants may be viewed as the earliest biotechnological
enterprise.
Applications of biotechnology to plants or animals to improve their food
processing properties
• (e.g. development of the Flavr Savr tomato variety, genetically modified to
reduce its ripening rate) or
• to produce proteins from genetically modified (GM) microorganisms to
improve plant or animal production
• (e.g. production of bovine somato tropin (BST),

34. Gene technology can be used in agriculture and food production to.
• increase crop or animal resistance to pests while reducing the use
of chemicals;
• increase crop or animal tolerance to chemicals that are used to kill
harmful pests;
• create disease resistance in crops and animals; and improve the
food yield per plant or animal;
• make plants and animals more suited to environmental conditions
e.g. drier regions or salty water;
• improve the nutritional quality of the food produced by the plant
or animal

35. Genetically modified crops ("GM crops", or "biotech crops") are
plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified with
genetic engineering techniques. In most cases the aim is to introduce
a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
Example
• FLOWERS There is some simply aesthetic application and an example
of this is the use of gene recognition and transfer techniques to improve
the color, smell, size and other features of flowers.
• BIOFUELS : The agricultural industry plays a big role in the biofuels
industry, as long as the feedstock's for fermentation and cleansing of bio-
oil, bio-diesel and bio-ethanol.

36. Current Biotech R&D in Ethiopia
It is lagging behind on activities of “Modern Biotechnology”
involving recombinant DNA technology;
Most of the works revolve around “Conventional Biotechnology”
Most of the activities focused on:-
• Plant tissue culture;
• Disease free planting materials production & dissemination;
• QTL mapping;
• PCR based genetic analysis;
Recently,
• Enset Transformation (EIAR-IITA)
• CFT of BtCotton (EBTi-EIAR)

37. Biotechnology education in Ethiopia
• Since 2004/05, the number of public higher education
institutions has increased, from 8 to 44, distributed
across all regions of the country;
• Currently a total 13 Higher Learning Institutes are
offering biotechnology undergraduate training;
• MSc training:- a total of 11 Universities offers;
• Doctoral training:- a total of 5 Universities offers

38. Public biotech Research institutes
• EBTi (Agri, Health, Industrial, Envir, Bioinformatics)
• National Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center (Holeta; DZ, Melkassa,
Jima)
• Institute of Biotechnology (IoB)-AAU
• Armauer Hansen Research Institute ( AHRI (Health)
• Akililu Lama Institute of Path-biology (Health)
• Ethiopian National Human Rights Institution (ENHRI (Health)
• National Veterinary Institute (NVI, Vet Vaccine),
• The Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity (EIB)
• National Animal Diagnostic & Investigation Center (NADIC) Sebeta
• National Artificial Insemination Center (NAIC)
• Regional Agricultural Research Institute-Tissue Culture Lab (Amhara, Oromia,
South, Tigray)

39. • Biotechnology has been identified as a key driver of growth for Ethiopia to fulfils its vision
to becoming middle income by the year 2025
• Ministerial Direction-finding Committee established with 6 Leading Experts of National
Biotech Taskforce;
• Developed Biotechnology Road Map for the next 10 years
1. Ethiopian Biotech Research & Development Roadmap
2. Ethiopian Human Resource Development Roadmap.
3. Ethiopian Agricultural Biotechnology Roadmap
4. Ethiopian Health Biotechnology Roadmap
5. Ethiopian Industrial Biotechnology Roadmap
6. Ethiopian Environmental Biotechnology Roadmap.
Recent Progress: National Capacity Building Initiatives for Biotechnology R&D

40. Continues
The Government recently established the Ethiopian Biotechnology Council and Ethiopian
Biotechnology Institute -EBTi (June 2016)
The Council:- Chaired by HE DPM and 7 Ministers + 5 Institute heads + 3 Senior
Researchers; It is mandated
• Issue policy on biotechnology R&D;
• Set national strategy & define major national priority programs for biotechnology R&D;
• Set directions for biotechnology R&D;
• Provide leadership to build and strengthen sustainable national capacity;
• Set directions for the establishment and proper management of the specialized research and service
centers;
EBTi Mandate:-
 Lead and Coordinate Biotech R & D;
 Formulate policies and strategies on biotechnology;
 Conduct Research on Agricultural biotech and others

41. continues
As follow-up of these efforts and the Biotech Research &
Development Plant has been developed :-
 National Biotech Curriculum Review & Development (BSc, MSc & PhD)
 National Biotech Research & Infrastructure Plan
 Biotechnology Regulatory Framework Guidelines
 Biotechnology Investment and Marketing
 Biotechnology Modules and Lab Protocols for High School Teacher

42. Main ingredient for biotech R&D
Main ingredients/Pillars for biotechnology development •
• Biodiversity (Plant, Animal, Microbial)
• Skilled Manpower
• Biotech R&D Infrastructure
• Enabling Environments & Finance
Project prepared for implementation
 National Biotech human capital development project
 Ethiopian Biotech National infrastructure development project
 Draft policy on Biotechnology

43. Current challenges
• Lack of Biotech infrastructure & manpower for modern
Biotech;
• Lack of incentive to compete & maintain biotechnologist
locally;
• Shortage of Biotech equipment's & supplies at local market;
• Absence of local private company interested to import biotech
items;
• Lack of public awareness.