Introduction to Biotechnology and its Applications, Lecture notes of Biotechnology

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Dr. Hafiz Muzzammel Rehman

Introduction to Biotechnology

Classical Biotech vs Modern

• (^) Classical Biotech –since

ages

• (^) Growing better crops
• (^) Breeding animals
• (^) Cheese and yogurt

production – use of

microorganisms

What is biotechnology all about?

Classical Biotech vs Modern

• (^) Mendel’s work – Laying

foundation of modern

Biotech

• (^) Major discoveries : DNA

structure, Ligase,

Restriction enzyme

• (^) Birth of rDNA technology
• (^) Cut Gene from one

organism and paste into

others

What is biotechnology all about?

Introduction to Biotechnology Biotechnology is the use of microbes, animal/plant cells and their products to synthesize, break down or transform materials. Primarily it includes the use of recombinant DNA technology and genetic engineering techniques to improve upon the quality of processes.

Traditional biotechnology refers to the conventional techniques that have been used for many centuries to produce beer, wine, cheese etc. Introduction to Biotechnology

Branches of Biotechnology White Biotechnology Development of processes and microorganisms for Industrial processes. Key concept Scale of operation Low volume high price

Branches of Biotechnology White Biotechnology Example

• (^) Enzyme production Differentiate between low volume high price products and high volume low price products Proteases (blue), lipases, amylases, cellulases

Green Biotechnology It is concerned with the modification of the genetic composition of plants to enhance existing traits or add new ones. Branches of Biotechnology An additional gene was inserted into the normal genome of this corn that triggers the production of proteins that then protect the plant from harmful insects. This reduces the need for pesticides and increases crop yields

Green Biotechnology Example Bt corn from Syngenta Bt cotton from Monsanto Branches of Biotechnology

The field of biotechnology has been in use for ages in various forms, which include the growing of better crops (agricultural biotechnology) and animal breeding (animal biotechnology). Similarly, the use of biotechnology has been around for thousands of years, especially the application of microorganisms in the production of cheese and yogurt (food biotechnology). In addition, the tools of biotechnology have been implied in animal husbandry, to develop pest-resistant crops, bioremediation (environmental biotechnology), as well as in bioethanol production

A little look back at history- how it all started

Discovery made by Sir Alexander Fleming in the year 1918 where he observed that the mold Penicillium inhibited the growth of human skin disease-causing bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. The discovery by Sir Alexander Fleming lead to the making of antibiotics that we use today. These antibiotics are highly recommended and extensively used medicinally for bacterial infections

Biotechnology in the 21 st Century

Biotechnology in the 21 st Century Gum cells directed to grow teeth Work of Prof. Paul Sharpe at King’s College London Home | News and Events | News | Biological tooth replacement - a step cl oser NEWS Biological tooth replacement - a step closer New research published in the Journal of Dental Research describes an advance in efforts to develop a method to replace missing teeth with new bioengineered teeth generated from a person’s own gum cells. The research is led by Professor Paul Sharpe, an expert in craniofacial development and stem cell biology at King’s College London’s Dental Institute, and was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Current implant-based methods of whole tooth replacement fail to reproduce a natural root structure and as a consequence of the friction from eating and other jaw movement, loss of jaw bone can occur around the implant.

Professor Sharpe concluded: 'Epithelial cells derived from adult human gum tissue are capable of responding to tooth inducing signals from embryonic tooth mesenchyme in an appropriate way to contribute to tooth crown and root formation and give rise to relevant differentiated cell types, following in vitro culture. These easily accessible epithelial cells are thus a realistic source for consideration in human biotooth formation. The next major challenge is to identify a way to culture adult human mesenchymal cells to be tooth-inducing, as at the moment we can only make embryonic mesenchymal cells do this.