Hamza Khalid

2016-ag-7138
Section E1

What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology, as the word suggests, is combination of biology and technology. Biotechnology
is the use of technology to use, modify or upgrade the part or whole of biological system for
industrial and human welfare.

Biotecnology is defined as:

1) “Biotechnology is the application of biological organisms, system or process to
manufacturing and service industries." (British or processes to manufacturing and
Biotechnologist)
2) “Biotechnology is the integrated use of biochemistry, microbiology, and engineering
sciences in order to achieve technological (industrial) application of the capabilities of micro-
organisms, cultured tissue cells.” (European Federation of Biotechnology).
3) “Biotechnology is the controlled use of biological agents, such as microorganisms or cellular
components.”(US National Science Foundation)

Bio-Technology is the use of living things especially cells and bacteria for production of various
products for benefiting human beings. It is a combination of various technologies, applied
together to living cells, including not only biology, but also subjects like mathematics, physics,
chemistry and engineering. Its application ranges from agriculture (Animal Husbandry, Cropping
system, Soil science and Soil Conservation, Plant Physiology, Seed Technology etc and Crop
Management) to industry (food, pharmaceutical, chemical, byproducts, textiles etc.), medicine,
nutrition, environmental conservation, Cell Biology, making it one of the fastest growing fields.
Biotechnology is to modify genetic structure in animals and plants to improve them in desired
way for getting beneficial products.

History:
People were using biotechnology techniques thousands years before but they did not named their
working field as biotechnology. The name biotechnology was given by Hungarian engineer
Karoly Ereky in 1919 to describe a technology based on converting raw materials into a more
useful product.

 The ancient Egyptians made wine using fermentation techniques based on an

understanding of the microbiological processes that occur in the absence of oxygen.
 Egyptians also applied fermentation technologies to make dough rise during bread-
making. Due in part to this application, there were more than 50 varieties of bread in
Egypt more than 4,000 years ago.  In wetter parts of the Nile Valley, Egyptians also
bred geese and cattle to meet their society's nutritional and dietary needs.
 Yogurt was made at homes but the reason of the conversion of milk into yogurt was
unknown to old people. Later researches showed that yogurt is made due to the action of
yeast added to milk; which is also biotechnology as it uses a micro-organism for
benefiting human.
 People have used selective breeding to improve production of crops and livestock to use
them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to
produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used
with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops.

Modern biotechnology
The Second World War became a major impediment in scientific discoveries. After the end of
the second world war some, very crucial discoveries were reported, which paved the path for
modern biotechnology and to its current status.

 In 1953, JD Watson and FHC Crick for the first time cleared the mysteries around the
DNA as a genetic material, by giving a structural model of DNA, popularly known as,
‘Double Helix Model of DNA’. This model was able to explain various phenomena
related to DNA replication, and its role in inheritance.
  Dr. Hargobind Khorana was able to synthesize the DNA in test tube, while Karl Mullis
added value to Khorana's discovery by amplifying DNA in a test tube, thousand times
more than the original amount of DNA.
 Using this technological advancement, other scientists were able to insert a foreign DNA
into another host and were even able to monitor the transfer of a foreign DNA into the
next generation
 In 1997, Ian Wilmut an Irish scientist was successful to clone a sheep and named the
cloned sheep as ‘Dolly’.  In 2003, the Human Genome Project completes sequencing of
the human genome.
 In 1978, Boyer was able to isolate a gene for insulin (a hormone to regulate blood sugar
levels) from human genome using biotechnology. He then inserted it into bacteria, which
allowed the gene to reproduce a larger quantity of insulin for diabetics. Structure of DNA
by Watson and Crick (1953) Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough products and
technologies to combat rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, and feed the
hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial
manufacturing processes. Currently, there are :
 More than 250 biotechnology health care products and vaccines available to patients,
many for previously untreatable diseases.
 More than 13.3 million farmers around the world use agricultural biotechnology to
increase yields, prevent damage from pests and reduce farming's impact on the
environment.
 More than 50 biorefineries are being built across North America to test and refine
technologies to produce biofuels and chemicals from renewable biomass, which can help
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Fields in biotechnology

Famous biotechnological fields are:

1) Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an
organism's genome using biotechnology. Genes are the chemical blueprints that determine an
organism's traits. Moving genes from one organism to another transfers those traits. Through
genetic engineering, organisms can be given targeted combinations of new genes, and therefore
new combinations of traits that do not occur in nature and, indeed, cannot be developed by
natural means. Such an approach is different from classical plant and animal breeding, which
operates through selection across many generations for traits of interest. Biotechnology in
Medical field Biotechnology in industry

2) Tissue culture
Tissue culture, a method of biological research in which fragments of tissue from an animal
or plant are transferred to an artificial environment in which they can continue to survive and
function. The cultured tissue may consist of a single cell, a population of cells, or a whole or
part of an organ. Cells in culture may multiply; change size, form, or function; exhibit
specialized activity (muscle cells, for example, may contract); or interact with other cells.
3) Cloning
Describes the processes used to create an exact genetic replica of another cell, tissue or
organism. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is
referred to as a clone. The most famous clone was a Scottish sheep named Dolly. There are
three different types of cloning:  Gene cloning, which creates copies of genes or segments
of DNA  Reproductive cloning, which creates copies of whole animals  Therapeutic
cloning, which creates embryonic stem cells. Researchers hope to use these cells to grow
healthy tissue to replace injured or diseased tissues in the human body

Impact of Biotechnology
Biotech is helping to heal the world by harnessing nature's own toolbox and using our own
genetic makeup. Biotech improves crop insect resistance, enhances crop herbicide tolerance
and facilitates the use of more environmentally sustainable farming practices. Biotechnology
is:
 Reducing rates of infectious disease;
 Tailoring treatments to individuals to minimize health risks and side effects;
 Creating more precise tools for disease detection Combating serious illnesses and everyday
threats confronting the developing world
 Reducing use of and reliance on petrochemicals;
 Using biofuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions
 Improving manufacturing process efficiency
 Decreasing water usage and waste generation
 Generating higher crop yields with fewer inputs;
 Lowering volumes of agricultural chemicals required by crops-limiting the run-off of these
products into the environment;
 Using biotech crops that need fewer applications of pesticides
 Developing crops with enhanced nutrition profiles that solve vitamin and nutrient
deficiencies;  Producing foods free of allergens and toxins
 Improving food and crop oil content to help improve cardiovascular health. So, we can say
that Biotechnologists have a broad scope. They can:-
 Help in increasing productivity and in improving energy production and conservation by
conducting research and development work.
 Work with chemical processes, genetic engineering, textile development cosmetic
development etc...
 Exploit and control the potential of micro-organisms and living systems for the benefit of
mankind as by using micro-organisms in the production of drinks, bread, cheese and yogurt.
 Find new ways to design and use antibiotics and pesticides
 Use genetic modification and genome mapping to improve crop production or crop resistance
to pests and diseases.
 Combating environmental pollution by developing the use of biosensors for early detection
of pollutants.
 Find new ways to treat industrial waste for recycling of sewage sludge.
 Carry out their work in the laboratories, as it is a scientific research oriented field.
 Help medical professionals in improving in the methods of diagnosis, medicines and
vaccinations for diseases.
 Biotechnology is beneficial for Human beings

Increase in human population has

given a big challenge to science to
combat with food and health
enhancement. With the initiation of
biotechnological science a new
world of science has opened the
doors to
overcome these challenges.
Utilization of biological systems to
design beneficial technologies for
human welfare
comes under the umbrella of
biotechnology. The discipline of
biotechnology has now many allied
fields. New
inventions in the life sciences in past
few years have come through
biotechnology. That is the reason
biotechnology
is the today’s science in which
happenings are occurring. Whether
there is new invention of vaccine,
whether we
have to make new crop varieties,
improve livestock, poultry meat and
feed and milk quality and even in war
industry
biotechnology is playing its
important role.
Increase in human population has
given a big challenge to science to
combat with food and health
enhancement. With the initiation of
biotechnological science a new
world of science has opened the
doors to
overcome these challenges.
Utilization of biological systems to
design beneficial technologies for
human welfare
comes under the umbrella of
biotechnology. The discipline of
biotechnology has now many allied
fields. New
inventions in the life sciences in past
few years have come through
biotechnology. That is the reason
biotechnology
is the today’s science in which
happenings are occurring. Whether
there is new invention of vaccine,
whether we
have to make new crop varieties,
improve livestock, poultry meat and
feed and milk quality and even in war
industry
biotechnology is playing its
important role.
Increase in human population has
given a big challenge to science to
combat with food and health
enhancement. With the initiation of
biotechnological science a new
world of science has opened the
doors to
overcome these challenges.
Utilization of biological systems to
design beneficial technologies for
human welfare
comes under the umbrella of
biotechnology. The discipline of
biotechnology has now many allied
fields. New
inventions in the life sciences in past
few years have come through
biotechnology. That is the reason
biotechnology
is the today’s science in which
happenings are occurring. Whether
there is new invention of vaccine,
whether we
have to make new crop varieties,
improve livestock, poultry meat and
feed and milk quality and even in war
industry
biotechnology is playing its
important role.
Increase in human population has
given a big challenge to science to
combat with food and health
enhancement. With the initiation of
biotechnological science a new
world of science has opened the
doors to
overcome these challenges.
Utilization of biological systems to
design beneficial technologies for
human welfare
comes under the umbrella of
biotechnology. The discipline of
biotechnology has now many allied
fields. New
inventions in the life sciences in past
few years have come through
biotechnology. That is the reason
biotechnology
is the today’s science in which
happenings are occurring. Whether
there is new invention of vaccine,
whether we
have to make new crop varieties,
improve livestock, poultry meat and
feed and milk quality and even in war
industry
biotechnology is playing its
important role.
Increase in human population has given a big challenge to science to combat with food and
health enhancement. With the initiation of biotechnological science a new world of science
has opened the doors to overcome these challenges. Utilization of biological systems to
design beneficial technologies for human welfare comes under the umbrella of
biotechnology. The discipline of biotechnology has now many allied fields. New inventions
in the life sciences in past few years have come through biotechnology. That is the reason
biotechnology is the today’s science in which happenings are occurring. Whether there is
new invention of vaccine, whether we have to make new crop varieties, improve livestock,
poultry meat and feed and milk quality and even in war industry biotechnology is playing its
important role.
Role of Biotechnology in human health
Biotechnology has a great role in human health as is has been used for the diagnosis of
different diseases and their cures. Some of the applications of Biotechnology are given
below:
Free radicals:
In conspicuous biomedical composition the term 'free radical' is used as a piece of a wide
sense moreover consolidates related responsive species like 'empowered states' that provoke
free radical period or species that results from free radical reactions. All things considered,
free radicals are brief, with half-lives in milli liter scale or nanoseconds. Free radicals have
been caught in the etiology of a couple of human diseases and developing (Harman, 1958;
Halliwell, et al., 1997). Neuro-degenerative Disorders: Sensory tissue including personality
is significantly vulnerable with the desire of complimentary radical damage due to high
substance of lipids especially polyunsaturated unsaturated fats. In Alzheimer's illness (AD)
biochemical and histological studies have shown affirmation for extended levels of oxidative
uneasiness and film LP. Changing in levels of cell fortification impetuses, for instance,
catalase and CuZn- and Mn-SOD in neurons in AD patients are dependable with their being
under extended nervousness. Extended protein oxidation, protein nitration and LP happen in
neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques. Lipid per oxidation is exceptionally wide as
exhibited by extended levels of per oxidation things, for instance, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-
HNE) in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. Iron (Fe2+) adds to extended LP in AD.
Lipid per oxidation may progress neuronal going in AD by various parts that fuse impedance
of the limit of film molecule manner of thinking ATPases (Na+ /K+ -ATPase and Ca2+-
ATPase), glucose transporters and glutamate transporters. Lipid per oxidation prompts era of
the aldehyde 4-HNE that subject to expect a vital part in the neurotoxin exercises of amyloid
β- peptid (Yoshikawa et al., 2000).
Proteomic Methodologies:
Utilizing cutting edge mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic systems, a few gatherings
have started to handle the bigger employment of deciding the arrangement of whole
mitochondrial proteomes from various essential model frameworks and in addition from
human tissues. Utilizing mitochondria segregated from human heart, Gibson and colleagues
have distinguished 684 remarkable proteins from the consolidated peptide information
acquired from more than 100,000 mass spectra created by MALDI-MS and superior fluid
chromatography (HPLC) MS/MS examinations. This information is presently piece of
'MitoProteome', an openly available database for the human heart mitochondrial proteome.
Free radicals have been ensnared in the etiology of incredible number of real illnesses. They
can antagonistically change numerous essential organic particles prompting loss of structure
and capacity. Such undesirable changes in the body can prompt sick conditions. Cell
reinforcements can secure against the harm affected by free radicals acting at different levels.
Dietary and different segments of plants structure real wellsprings of cancer prevention
agents. The connection between cell reinforcements and free radicals and proper functioning
of different organs and organ frameworks is exceedingly intricate and the revelation of
'redox flagging' is a turning point in this critical relationship. Late research revolves around
different techniques to ensure pivotal tissues and organs against oxidative harm affected by
free radicals. Composed examination including biomedical researchers, nutritionists and
doctors can have noteworthy effect to human wellbeing in the impending decades. Research
on free radicals and cell reinforcements including these is one such exertion in the right
heading.
BATERIOPHAGES; A Tool for gene therapy:
It has been perceived that bacteriophages have a few potential applications in the cutting
edge biotechnology industry, have been proposed as conveyance vehicles for protein and
DNA immunizations; as quality treatment conveyance vehicles; as different options for anti-
toxins; for the recognition of pathogenic microorganisms; and as instruments for screening
libraries of proteins, peptides or antibodies. These differences, and the simplicity of their
control and creation, imply that they have potential uses in exploration, therapeutics and
assembling in both the biotechnology and medicinal fields. It is trusted that the extensive
variety of researchers, clinicians and biotechnologists right now exploring or putting phages
to commonsense utilization have the capacity to aptitude and subsequently quicken progress
towards further advancement in this energizing field of biotechnology (Clark et al., 2006).
MicroRNAs correlate with human cancer:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) square measure a motivating category of very little non-protein-
coding RNAs that capability as negative quality controllers. They management different
natural procedures, and bioinformatics data demonstrates that every miRNA will
management several quality targets, underscoring the potential impact of miRNAs on each
hereditary pathway. Late proofs have incontestable that miRNA transformations or mis-
expression connect with completely different human growths and demonstrates that miRNAs
will work as tumor silencers and oncogenes. MiRNAs are incontestable to quell the
declaration of important malady connected qualities and should demonstrate useful within
the analysis and treatment of tumour (Kerscher et al., 2006).
P53 tumor suppressor gene therapy for cancer:
The most recent two decades have prompted a more noteworthy comprehension of the
hereditary premise of human harm. Albeit various hereditary changes have been
distinguished in malignancy, actuation of onco-genes and inactivation of cell cycle
controllers (e.g., tumor silencer qualities) are presently known not a discriminating part in
the movement of the illness. Helpful procedures in light of particular sub-atomic changes in
malignancy incorporate reintroduction of wild-sort tumor silencer capacity to cells without
the quality. p53 quality treatment gives an alluring methodology to test the potential clinical
practicality of this methodology. Adjustments in p53 capacity are available in pretty nearly
50% of all malignancies, and articulation of wild-sort p53 can bring about apoptosis in
human tumor cells. This audit condenses current examinations with p53 quality treatment,
highlighting the preclinical endeavors with adenoviral, retroviral, and lipid-based quality
conveyance frameworks. A far reaching audit of the different clinical targets proposed for
p53 quality treatment is given together difficulties and prospects for future clinical
examination (Nielsen et al., 1998).
Cancer Gene Therapy with HER2:
Over expression of the human epidermal development consider 2 (HER2) onco-gene in
human bosom carcinomas have been connected with a more forceful site of ailment. The
purpose behind this affiliation is still misty, it has been recommended to rest in expanded
expansion, vessel development, and/or obtrusiveness. On the other hand, anticipation may
not be specifically identified with the vicinity of the oncoprotein on the phone film, yet
rather to the bosom carcinoma subset distinguished by HER2 over expression and described
by a particular quality expression profile. HER2 has additionally been connected with
affectability to anthracyclins and imperviousness to endocrine treatment, recommending that
tyrosine kinase receptor and hormone receptor pathways speak to two noteworthy expansion
pathways only dynamic in bosom carcinomas, one touchy to chemotherapeutic medications
and the other to anti-estrogens. HER2 at present speaks to a standout amongst the most
proper focuses for particular treatment. Surely, trastuzumab, a monoclonal counter acting
agent coordinated against the extra cellular area of HER2, is remedially dynamic in HER2-
positive bosom carcinomas. On the other hand, a predictable number of HER2-positive
tumors are not receptive to HER2-driven treatment, showing the requirement for a superior
comprehension of the component of activity of this new organic medication in vivo. While
preclinical studies recommend immunizer ward cell cytotoxicity as the significant
component, determination of NK action at the season of treatment stays compulsory,
particularly in patients treated with immunosuppressive medications. The viability of
prophylactic immunization has been completely shown in preclinical models, while
continuous investigations of dynamic immunotherapy utilizing an assortment of inoculation
regimens against HER2 in tumor-bearing mice and patients have met with just direct
achievement (Menard et al., 2003).
SiRNA-mediated gene silencing:
RNA obstruction is presently settled as a vital organic method for quality quieting, however
its application to mammalian cells has been constrained by nonspecific inhibitory impacts of
long dsRNA on interpretation. There is a viral-intervened conveyance system that outcomes
in particular quieting of focused on qualities through articulation of little meddling RNA
(siRNA). Confirmation of a standard by particularly reducing articulation of exogenous and
endogenous qualities in vitro and in vivo in cerebrum and liver, and further apply this
methodology to a model arrangement of a noteworthy class of neurodegenerative issue, the
polyglutamine maladies, to show diminished polyglutamine accumulation in cells is built up.
This viral-interceded system ought to demonstrate for the most part helpful in lessening
articulation of target qualities to model organic procedures or to give treatment to prevailing
human sicknesses (Xia et al., 2002).