Biotechnology is the application of technology to manipulate living organisms for practical benefits. It encompasses various fields including microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, and environmental biotechnology, aimed at improving health, agriculture, and industry. The biotech industry in India has seen significant growth, with government initiatives supporting research and development, despite challenges in regulation and infrastructure.

2. What is Biotechnology?
 A combination of two words “Biology+Technology”
 Biology- Science of living organisms
 Technology- Practical application of scientific
knowledge
 Therefore, biotechnology is the use of technology in
the manipulation of living organisms to do practical
things and provide useful products.
 Ultimate aim of the subject is to exploit the potential
that nature provides to benefit humankind.

3. Scope of Study
Biotechnology
Microbiology
Biochemistry
Food Technology
Genetics and
Molecular Biology
Environmental
Biotechnology
Plant
Biotechnology
Animal
Biotechnlogy
IPR’ s
Bioinformatics

4. Microbiology
• Study of living organisms at microscopic level (10-6m)
• Includes study of bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, protozoa.
• Earliest talk of microbes was in teachings of Jainism.
• Noted scientists: Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, Beijerinck.
Biochemistry
• Study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms.
• Includes study of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and
nucleic acids.
• Study of processes such as respiration, metabolism, transcription and
translation, and study of enzymes and their functioning.
Food Technology
• Deals with food production processes.
• Importance is increasing in the present day context with people diversifying
their food habits and mushrooming of food processing industries.
• Most important process includes fermentation (production of beverages, bakery
products etc.), pickling and food preservation.
• Recent developments: Milk powder, freeze drying, decaffeination.

5. Genetics
• Science of genes, heredity and variation in living organisms.
• Study of DNA
• Important scientists: Mendel, Watson and Crick.
• Deals with science of inheritance, genetic disorders, mutations, recombination
genetics, DNA sequencing and fingerprinting, etc.
• Also helpful in evolutionary studies
Environmental Biotechnology
• Application of biotechnology processes for benefit of environment.
• Also used to harness biological processes for commercial uses and expolitation.
• Eg: Biogas digesters, bioremediation, waste water treatment, environmental
clean-up , bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides.
Plant Biotechnology
• Use of biotechnology in agriculture and to improve plant productivity.
• To identify causes of plant diseases and their curative measures.
• Tissue culture
• Genetic engineering in plants.
• Developing resistance in plants against insects, drought, etc.
• Improving nutrition value- Golden rice.

6. Animal Biotechnology
• Use of biotechnological processes in animal health and productivity.
• Animal tissue culture: research and preservation.
• Vaccine production.
• Bio-pharming.
• Identification of diseases- causes and cure.
IPRs
• Exclusive rights conferred upon creations of intellect.
• Patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs.
• Aim: to honor and promote creativity and innovation, financial incentives
and morality.
Bioinformatics
• Develops and improves on methods for storing, retrieving, organizing and
analyzing biological data. A major activity in bioinformatics is to develop
software tools to generate useful biological knowledge
• Sequence analysis, computational and evolutionary biology, analysis of
gene regulation and expression, comparative genomics, protein structure
prediction, etc.

7. Biotechnology in India
 1978: First biotech company BIOCON was established
at Bangalore dealing with industrial enzymes. Later on
it progressed and expanded its scope into bio-
therapeutics.
 1981: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(CCMB) was established at Hyderabad dealing with
rDNA technology. It is one of the most prestigious
research institutions today.
 1986: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) was
established under the MoST. Since then gradual and
regular progress has been made in the field.

8. Significance
 Biotech industry has grown three folds in past 5 years.
Therefore, provides for employment opportunities along
with a significant contribution to GDP.
 Industry has increased spending in R&D
 Attracts FDI, especially drugs and pharma sector.
 Indian biotech industry is ranked third in the Asia Pacific
region after Japan and Korea.
 Budgetary allocation has increased.
 Improvement in skilled manpower, infrastructure and
regional stock markets.
 Contribution to improvement in agriculture sector.

9. Government’s initiatives
 BIRAC(Biotech Industry Research Assistance Council)- to
increase participation between educational research and
industry. Would also enable start-ups and SMEs
 Biotech SEZs
 PPP projects between DBT and various industries
 Small Business Innovative Research Initiative (SBIRI)- to
fund early stage research by DBT.
 Biotech Industry Partnership Programme.
 Introduction of Biotech Bill in the Parliament for setting
up a regulatory authority to oversee the progress in the
field and to carry out risk assessment of all biotech
products.

10. Issue Areas
 Indian companies are unable to launch new products at
regular pace in domestic markets.
 Multiple regulatory bodies cause delay in clearance.
 Funding constraints
 Stiff competition from other economies such as China,
Korea and Singapore.
 Lack of infrastructure.
 Research is not upto the level of global standards.
 Lack of opportunities.
 Challenges in face of GM crops.
 Poor coordination between educational research and
industrial needs.

11. Biotech at PU, Chandigarh
 1989: Biotech was introduced as a ‘Centre’.
 1994: On receiving financial aid from UGC and DBT, the ‘Centre’
was upgraded to the level of a full fledged department.
 1996 onwards: Many projects have been awarded to the
department by DBT, DST, UGC, ICMR, and CSIR.
 Current courses offered: BSc(HS), MSc(HS) and PhD.
 First university in NI to start with BSc(HS) course.
 Many students go abroad and many foreigner students come to
the campus for their higher education via the Cultural Exchange
Program.
 The department is served by a reputed faculty and boasts of well
designed labs and state of the art equipments and infrastructure.
A deaprtmental library has been establish to cater to the needs of
the students as well as the teachers.

12. Job Opportunities
Job
opportunities
Teaching
Research
Pharma
sector
Food
processing
industry
Bioprocess
industry
Agriculture
sector
Setting up
own project

13. Applications of Biotech
• Diagnostics
• Biomarkers
• Forensics
Medical
Biotechnology
• Natural products as pharmaceuticals
• Gene therapy
• Cancer therapy
• Vaccines
Therapeutics
• Crop yield
• Reduced vulnerability of crops to environmental stresses
• Increased nutritional qualities
• Reduced dependence on fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals
• Production of novel substances in crop plants
Agriculture
Biotechnology

14. • Bio-remediation
• Waste water treatment
• Environmental clean-up
• Reduced dependence on chemicals in agriculture
Environmental
Biotechnology
• Animal tissue culture
• Bio-pharming
• Vaccine production
• Improving productivity
• Cloning and regenerative medicine
Animal
Biotechnology
• Improved processes of production
• Decreased incidences of contamination
• Better productivity of processes
Industrial
Biotechnology