WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

"Any technological application that uses biological systems,

living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
products or processes for specific use.“ –United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Biotechnology is…

 A applied filed of ‘biology’ that

corresponds with engineering,
medicine and technology.
 History of Biotechnology.

 Biotechnology began
even back at the
times of Ancient
Mesopotamia.
 The civilization of
plants is said to be
the earliest
biotechnological
enterprise.
 Agriculture and Brewing was one of
brewing beer were the earliest forms
one of the first of biotechnology.
ways
biotechnology was
used.

Branches of Biotechnology.

 Bioinformatics (also may be referred as computational

biology)- addresses biological problems using
computational techniques.
 Blue Biotechnology- The marine and aquatic
applications of biotechnology.
 Green Biotechnology- Biotechnology that is applied to
agricultural processes. Example: Selection and
domestication of plants through plant propagation.
 Red Biotechnology- Applied for medical processes.
Example: Antibiotics.
 White Biotechnology- Also known as industrial
biotechnology which is applied to industrial
processes.
Medicine & Biotechnology.

 In medicine, biotechnology is used for

things such as:
 Drug production.
 Pharmacogenomics
 Gene therapy
 Genetic Testing

Pharmacogenomics:

 Pharmacogenomics is the study

of how genetic inheritance of a
person affects their body’s
response to drugs.
 The reason for
pharmacogenomics is to
develop drugs suitable to each
person’s genetic makeup.
Genetic Testing.

 Genetic testing involves the

inspection of an DNA
molecule itself. A scientist
scans someone’s DNA
Gel
sample for mutated Electrophoresis.
sequences.
 Genetic Testing is used
for:
 Forensic Testing.
 Carrier Screening.
 Newborn Screening.
 Determining the sex of a
Gene Therapy.

 Gene Therapy may be used for treating, or

sometimes curing genetic and acquired
diseases like cancer and AIDS.
 It is done by using normal genes to
supplement or replace defective genes or to
bolster a normal function such as an
immunity.
 There are two ways of getting a gene therapy
treatment:
 Ex vivo- which is “outside the body”
 In vivo- “inside the body”
Biotech in NC.

 North Carolina ranks 3rd

in the nation in
number of
biotechnology
companies. Biotechnology
 There’s more than 528 Center.
companies in NC with
57,000 people being
employed.
 Biotechnology items
produced in NC:
 Pediatric Vaccines.
 Poultry Vaccines.
 Herbicide-Tolerant cups.
Important Facts!

 Biotechnology has led to the

development of antibiotics.
 The field of modern Biotechnology is
said to begun on June 16,1980.


Sources:

 www.wikipedia.com
 www.Ncbiotech.org
