Biotechnology unit. INS de Tremp. 2016
1.1 What is biotechnology?
"Biotechnology" means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.
https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/default.shtml?a=cbd-02
Convention on biological diversity
1.2 Biotechnology uses
- Monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis (ELISA test)
This antibodies are used is ELISA tests. This technique is used to detect HIV among many other viruses.
One application is lactase production to obtain lactase free milk.
Biotechnology has a wide range of uses. Please watch the TEDx video from Cathat Garvey and write down five different applications.
1.3 Drugs production and other compounds with therapeutic activity
- Antibiotics
- Are generally used to treat infections.
- Growth Hormone (GH)
- The lack of GH causes dwarfism. It used to be extracted from human corpses. It is produced with the help of biotechnology since 1985.
- Blood clot factor VII
- The lack of this protein causes haemophilia. Patients used to receive regular blood transfusions which lead to possible HIV or HV infection.
- Hepatitis Virus (HV) (A & B strands) vaccines
- This injections prevent you from suffering the illness.
- Insulin production
Insulin was first produced by genetic engineering in 1980. Insulin is an hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the glucose blood level.
A lack of insulin causes diabetes type I. Patients suffering from that condition need daily insulin injections.
Years ago the only way to obtain insulin was to process pancreas form pigs. The procedure was expensive and using pig insulin may lead to an immune reaction.
1.4 Gene therapy
This technique consists in replacing a mutated gene that causes a disease with a healthy gene. This way the new gene can produce a certain protein that the mutated gene was unable to.
This experimental technique could be applied to prevent diseases like Huntington syndrome, cystic fibrosis or certain immunodeficiencies.
1.5 Other biotechnology applications
- Agriculture
- Genetically modified vegetables :Potatoes, tobacco, cotton and soy.
- Disease resistant vegetables.
- Harsh conditions resistant.
- Higher yield and faster growth.
- BT corn is resistant to corn borer.
- Food industry
- Primary goods improvement. For example vitamin A enriched rice.
- Higher yield in fermentation or any other enzyme related reaction.
- Meat tenderizers.
- Veterinary
- There are a limited number of applications these days.
- It is possible to produce milk with some proteins with pharmaceutical applications.
- It is possible to obtain animals suitable as disease models. For example, athymic nude mice can be used in cancer research.
- In the future biotechnology could be used to obtain low fat meat or animals that can resist certain diseases.
- Waste treatment
- Wastewater: GM bacteria can degrade organic compounds as well as nitrates and phosphates.
- Oil spills: Some GM bacteria and yeasts can degrade oil and other petrol derivatives.
- Heavy metals removal: GM microorganisms can remove arsenic, lead or mercury.
- Biofuel production
- GM microorganisms can produce a wide range of enzymes that enhance chemical reactions that produce bioethanol, biodiesel or biogas.
1.6. Biotechnology ethical and social issues
- Biotechnology can help to improve our lives. However, it may generate controversy due to potential risks.
- It is important that new technological application follow certain types of regulation so that no harm is made to nature, society or public health.
- Biotechnology has three main drawbacks:
- Negative impact on genetic diversity: GM plants may lead to a lack of genetic diversity. For example, almost all the corn grown in the USA is BT corn.
- Gene transfer: Some genes could be transferred to other species. For example, generating multi-resistant bad grass.
- Health risks: Some proteins could be toxic or generate allergic reactions. However, it has not been proved.
Laboratory practice
Yoghurt production
Yogurt is a dairy product obtained by milk fermentation. Two different bacteria are used for this purpose Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermofilus. Another way to get a dairy product is to use Lactobacillus bifidus which is a group of bacteria also known as Bifidobacterium.
Procedure part 1
- Place a few milk millilitres on a Petri dish.
- Add a teaspoon of yoghurt and stir until obtaining an homogeneous mixture.
- Label the Petri dish lid with your name and type of dairy product.
- Leave the Petri dish overnight in the oven at 43º C degrees.
- Clean properly all the material.
- Repeat this process with the genetically modified product.
- Check the texture of the culture after approximately 24 hours.
Procedure part 2
- Mix a small amount of yoghurt with distilled water.
- Place a drop of the mixture on a slide.
- Evaporate the water using a Bunsen lighter.
- Wash the slide with ethanol to remove the fat from the sample.
- Let it dry.
- Add a drop of methylene blue.
- Place the coverslip over the slide.
- Place the slide on the microscope and look for the bacteria.
- Repeat the process with the GM dairy product.