Biotechnology uses genes from different organisms to modify biological functions and create products to benefit society. It has applications in gene therapy, cancer treatment, vaccines, and more. Techniques include adding genes to crops to increase vitamin levels or tolerance to environmental stresses. DNA is delivered using organisms like Agrobacterium. Medical biotechnology aims to prolong life through monoclonal antibodies, bioprocessing insulin from bacteria, stem cell therapies, and tissue engineering to replace damaged tissues.

1. Biotechnology

2. What is Biotechnology ?
Definition
The application of the technology
to modify the
biological function of an organism
by adding genes
from another organism
Biotechnology uses
living cells and materials
produced by cells to
create pharmaceutical,
diagnostic, agricultural,
environmental, and other
products to benefit
society.

3. Biotech Applications
 Gene Therapy – replace defective genes with
functional ones
 ADA (adenosine deaminase) deficiency
 cystic fibrosis
 Immunosuppressive Therapies – used to inhibit
rejection (organ transplants)
 Cancer Therapies -one method is antisense
technology
 Vaccines – biggest break through in biotechnology-
prevention of disease

4. These definitions imply biotechnology is needed because :
Nature has a rich source of
variation
•Here we see bean
has many seedcoat
colors and patterns in
nature

5. nature does not contain all the
genetic variation man desires
•Fruits with vaccines
•Grains with improved nutrition

6. What controls this natural variation?
Allelic differences at genes control a specific trait
Gene - a piece of DNA
that controls the
expression of a trait.
Allele - the alternate
forms of a gene.

7. What is the difference between
genes and alleles for Mendel’s Traits?
• Plant height • Seed shape
Tall Short
Allele
Smooth Wrinkled
Allele

8. Gene Manipulation Starts
At the DNA Level
The nucleus
contains DNA
Source: Access Excellence

9. • Vitamin A deficiency is a major health problem
• Causes blindness
• Influences severity of diarrhea, measles
• 100 million children suffer from the problem
• For many countries, the infrastructure doesn’t exist
to deliver vitamin pills
• Improved vitamin A content in widely consumed crops
an attractive alternative

10. The Golden Rice Solution
IPP
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate
Phytoene
Lycopene
 -carotene
(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase
Phytoene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Daffodil gene
Single bacterial gene;
performs both functions
Daffodil gene
-Carotene Pathway Genes Added
Vitamin A
Pathway
is complete
and functional
Golden
Rice

11. Agrobacterium
A natural DNA delivery system
• A plant pathogen found in nature
• Hormone genes expressed and galls form at infection
site
• Delivers DNA that encodes for plant hormones
• Infects many plant species
Gall on
stem
Gall on
leaf
• DNA incorporates into plant chromosome

12. The Galls Can Be
Huge

14. Salt Tolerant

15. Insect Resistance
Transgene=
Bt-toxin protein
Cold Tolerance
Transgene=
CBF transcription factors

16. Several branches of
biotechnology
• Bioinformatics m, a new brand of
computer science.
• Bioprocess engineering
• Biorobotics
• Chemical engineering
• Tissue engineering
• Pharmaceutical engineering
• Genitic engineering
• Industrialbiotechnology
For example

17. Medical Biotechnology

18. Introduction
• Medical
biotechnology is the
fusion of genetics, cell
biology and many
other sciences in
order to further
advances in
medicine.

19. Why is medical biotechnology
important?
 The main reason for
medical biotechnology is
to prolong life.
 Other reasons are to
ease suffering of
palliative care patients or
to increase accessibility
for people with
disabilities.

20. Monoclonal Antibodies (mAb)
 They are so called
because they are
clones of an individual
parent cell.
 Remember,
antibodies are
specific proteins that
target pathogens
invading our body.

21. Monoclonal Antibodies (mAb)
 Steps in making them:
 Human antibody genes
are put into a mouse.
 Mouse is infected causing
it to make human antibody
producing cells (B-cells).
 These cells are removed
from the mouse and fused
with a tumour cell.
 Now we have a tumour
cell that is constantly
producing antibodies and
more cells like itself.

22. Bioprocessing
• Bioprocessing is the mass
production of human
proteins, vaccines, etc… by
genetically modifying
bacteria or viruses.
• This allows for a large
quantity of the desired
product to be created in a
short amount of time and
for a relatively low cost.

23. Bioprocessing
 The main product
currently bioprocessed is
insulin, the human protein
responsible for lowering
blood sugar after eating.
 The human gene for
insulin is placed into
bacteria, these are
cultured and allowed to
produce insulin which is
collected, purified and
sold to the millions of
diabetics worldwide.

24. Stem Cells
 A stem cell is a cell that
has the potential to
become any cell type in
the human body.
 Everyone has stem cells,
but they are very hard to
access.
 The easiest place to get
stem cells is from an
embryo.

25. Stem Cells
 Stem cells are
introduced into a
damaged area of the
body where, under the
right conditions, will
replace the damaged
area.
 Often times stem cells
are grown in a lab first
to ensure the right
conditions and then
placed into a sick
person.

26. Stem Cells
 Stem cells are currently being
tested to treat everything from
Crohn’s disease to baldness!
 The main areas where stem cells
have proven their worth is in bone
marrow transplants, replacing
damaged heart tissue after a
heart attack and replacing
damaged nerve tissue which
gives hope to anyone who has
had a spinal cord injury.

27. Tissue Engineering
 A form of regenerative
medicine, tissue
engineering is the
creation of human
tissue outside the body
for later replacement.
 Usually occurs on a
tissue scaffold, but can
be grown on/in other
organisms as shown on
the right.

28. Tissue Engineering
 Tissue engineers have
created artificial skin,
cartilage and bone
marrow.
 Current projects being
undertaken include
creating an artificial liver,
pancreas and bladder.
 Again, we are far from
replacing a whole organ,
but just looking for
“refurbishing” our slightly
used ones at the moment.