This document provides an overview of biotechnology. It defines biotechnology as using living organisms to make useful products. Biotechnology draws on fields like microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. It has applications in healthcare, agriculture, industry, and the environment. The document also discusses biosafety considerations and ensuring public acceptance of biotechnology applications.

1. Course: BSc Biotech Sem-I
Subject: Fundamentals of Biotechnology
Unit - 1

2.  The Office of Technology Assessment of the
United States Congress (dismantled in 1995)
defined biotechnology as “any technique that
uses living organisms or substances from those
organisms, to make or modify a product, to
improve plants or animals, or to develop
microorganisms for specific uses.”
 Biotechnology has been identified as one of the
frontline technologies today being developed and
used to understand and manipulate biological
molecules for applications in medical, agricultural,
industrial and environmental sectors of the
national economy.

3.  Biotechnology is a priori an interdisciplinary
pursuit.
 In recent decades a characteristic feature of the
development of science and technology has
been the increasing resort to multidisciplinary
strategies for the solution of various problems.
 The term multidisciplinary describes a quantitative
extension of approaches to problems that
commonly occur within a given area.

4.  It involves the marshalling of concepts and
methodologies from a number of separate
disciplines and applying them to a specific
problem in another area.
 Unlike a single scientific discipline,
biotechnology can draw upon a wide array of
relevant fields, such as microbiology,
biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology,
immunology, protein engineering,
enzymology, classified breeding techniques,
and the full range of bioprocess technologies.

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6.  A biotechnologist can utilise techniques derived
from chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry,
chemical engineering and computer science.
 Biotechnologists must also aim to achieve a close
working cooperation with experts from other
related fields, such as medicine, nutrition, the
pharmaceutical and chemical industries,
environmental protection and waste process
technology.
 Biotechnology has two clear features: its
connections with practical applications and
interdisciplinary cooperation.

7.  As stated by McCormick (1996), a former editor
of the Journal Bio/ Technology: ‘There is no such
thing as biotechnology, there are biotechnologies.’
 There is no biotechnology industry; there are
industries that depend on biotechnologies for
new products and competitive advantage.’

8. Plant agriculture
13%
Animal agriculture
8%
Chemical/Food 5%
Other
s
4%
1%Energy/Environment
Healthcare
69%
8
Plant agriculture
13%
Animal agriculture
8%
Chemical/Food 5%
Others 4%
1%Energy/Environment
Healthcare
69%
2

9.  Bioprocess technology
Historically, the most important area of biotechnology
(brewing, antibiotics, mammalian cell culture, etc.),
extensive development in progress with new products
envisaged (polysaccharides, medically important
drugs, solvents, protein-enhanced foods). Novel
fermenter designs to optimise productivity.
 Enzyme technology
Used for the catalysis of extremely specific chemical
reactions; immobilisation of enzymes; to create specific
molecular converters (bioreactors). Products formed
include L-amino acids, high fructose syrup, semi-
synthetic penicillins, starch and cellulose hydrolysis,
etc. Enzyme probes for bioassays.
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10.  Waste technology
Long historical importance but more emphasis is now being
placed on coupling these processes with the conservation
and recycling of resources; foods and fertilizers, biological
fuels.
 Environmental technology
Great scope exists for the application of biotechnological
concepts for solving many environmental problems
(pollution control, removing toxic wastes); recovery of
metals from mining wastes and low-grade ores.
 Healthcare
New drugs and better treatment for delivering medicines to
diseased parts. Improved disease diagnosis, understanding
of the human genome – genomics and proteomics,
information technology.
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11.  Renewable resources technology
The use of renewable energy sources, in particular
lignocellulose, to generate new sources of chemical raw
materials and energy – ethanol, methane and
hydrogen. Total utilisation of plant and animal
material. Clean technology, sustainable technology.
 Plant and animal agriculture
Genetically engineered plants to improve nutrition,
disease resistance, maintain quality, and improve
yields and stress tolerance will become increasingly
commercially available. Improved productivity etc. for
animal farming. Improved food quality, flavour, taste
and microbial safety.
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12. Thebiotechnologytree
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13.  Essential to the understanding of biosafety is
the recognition and appreciation of the terms
‘hazard’ and ‘risk’.
 In the context of health and safety, the hazard
can be a substance, object or situation with a
potential for an accident or damage, and the
risk is the likelihood that this will occur.
 Simply put, a hazard is something with the
potential to cause harm, while risk defines the
chance of an individual or the environment
being harmed by the hazard.

14.  Pathogenicity: the potential ability of living organisms
and viruses (natural and genetically engineered) to infect
humans, animals and plants and to cause disease.
 Toxicity and allergy associated with microbial
production.
 Other medically relevant effects, e.g. increasing the
environmental pool of antibiotic-resistant
microorganisms.
 Problems associated with the disposal of spent microbial
biomass and the purification of effluents from
biotechnological processes.
 Safety aspects associated with contamination, infection or
mutation of process strains.
 Safety aspects associated with the industrial use of
microorganisms containing in vitro recombinant DNA.

15.  Class 1
Microorganisms that have never been identified
as causative agents of disease in humans and
that offer no threat to the environment.
 Class 2
Microorganisms that may cause human disease
and that might therefore offer a hazard to
laboratory workers. They are unlikely to
spread in the environment. Prophylactics are
available and treatment is effective.

16.  Class 3
Microorganisms that offer a severe threat to the
health of laboratory workers, but a comparatively
small risk to the population at large. Prophylactics
are available and treatment is effective.
 Class 4
Microorganisms that cause severe illness in humans
and offer a serious hazard to laboratory workers
and to people at large. In general effective
prophylactics are not available and no effective
treatment is known.

17.  Class 5
Microorganisms that offer a more severe threat to
the environment, particularly to animals and
plants, than to people. They may be
responsible for heavy economic losses.
National and international lists and regulations
concerning these microorganisms are already
in existence in contexts other than
biotechnology

18.  Bioterrorism has been defined as the intentional or
threatened use of viruses, bacteria, fungi or toxins
from living organisms or agents to produce death
or disease in humans, animals and plants (Center
of Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA).
 Within the armory of weapons of mass
destruction, biological weapons are considered
more destructive than chemical weapons,
including nerve gases, since with a biological
attack it is never known when the contaminants
have been removed.

19.  Potential biological agents have been assigned to
three categories (Centre of Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, USA).
 Category A: agents include the most serious –
smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism, tularaemia and
viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola
 Category B: agents have a similar potential for large-
scale dissemination but generally cause less serious
illnesses – typhus, brucellosis and food poisoning
agents such as Salmonella and E. coli 0157
 Category C: agents include novel infectious diseases,
which could emerge in future threats.

20.  Unlike nuclear and chemical weapons, biological weapons
are relatively easy and cheap to produce and manufacture,
and can also be used on a small scale. In this way small
countries and terrorist organisations might easily acquire
biological weapons.
 The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) signed in 1972
was the first agreement among nations that declared an
entire category of weapons to be off-limits and now has 154
state parties or treaty members.
 All those who have signed have agreed ‘not to develop,
produce, stockpile or acquire biological agents, toxins and
weapons-delivery mechanisms of types and qualities that
have no justification for prophylactic properties and other
peaceful purposes’.
 If a nation should proceed to develop biological weapons it
will be violating international law.

21.  The implementation of the new techniques will be
dependent upon their acceptance by consumers.
 As stated in the Advisory Committee on Science
and Technology (1990) report Developments in
Biotechnology: ‘Public perception of biotechnology
will have a major influence on the rate and
direction of developments and there is growing
concern about genetically modified products.
Associated with genetic manipulation are diverse
questions of safety, ethics and welfare.’
 Public understanding of these new technologies
could well hasten public acceptance.

22.  The Eurobarometer poll, Europeans and Biotechnology in
2005, confirmed that most Europeans supported medical
application of biotechnology when there were clear
benefits for human health and also industrial
applications. However, they were still expressing
scepticism towards agricultural biotechnology.
 Surprisingly, consumers were more supportive of the
use of GM plants for the production of medicines and
pharmaceutical products. Stem cell research was
strongly supported.
 A dominant feature of public perception of
biotechnology is the extraordinary low and naive
public understanding of the genetic basis of life and
evolution.
 Does genetic engineering get a biased press coverage?

23. • India is one of the emerging economies in the World.
• Shifting focus to one of the most promising industry of the
future: Biotechnology
• Bio-diversity of India will be an advantage for Biotech
companies.
• Vast reservoir of scientific human resource with reasonable
cost, wealth of R&D institutions, centers of academic
excellence in Biosciences
• Vibrant Pharmaceutical Industry and fast developing clinical
capabilities collectively point to promising biotech sector
• Over 300 companies and 241 institutions use some form of
biotechnology in agricultural, medical or environmental
applications.

24. Quite nascent stage
• Vast growth and opportunity
• Over 300 registered biotechnology companies,
out of which ~100 in are modern biotech sector
– Twelfth most successful biotechnology sector in
the world as measured by number of
companies
– 96 enterprises exclusively as Biotech companies,
[after Australia (228) and China (136)]

25.  Vaccines (new generation and combinations)
–Bharat Biotech, Bharat Serum, Biological E,
Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical, Panacea, Pfizer,
Serum Institute of India, Shanta Bio-techniques,
Smithkline Beecham and Wockhardt
 Therapeutics
–Biocon, Eli Lilly and Wockhardt
 Diagnostics
–Bharat Biotech, Qualigens Diagnostics, Span
Diagnostics, J. Mitra and xCyton Diagnostics

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27. •Set up joint venture companies to locally
manufacture the product
•Collaborative research
•Contract research
•Contract manufacturing
•Technology transfer
•Marketing arrangement for bio-supplies
(appoint distributor/agent)
•Clinical research
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28.  DBT (started in 1985) is developing policy for India
 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR)
 Department of Science and Technology (DST)
 Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprise
(ABLE)
 Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance
Council (BIRAC)
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29. READING IMAGES
 Elements of
biotechnology by P K
Gupta
 Biotechnology by B D
Singh
 Principles of
Biotechnology by Dr. A
J Nair
 Biotechnology by John
E. Smith (5th Ed.)
 1-3: Biotechnology by
John E. Smith (5th Ed.)