New developments in Biotechnology Percy Chimwamurombe

Lecture Overview This lecture will deal some of the recent developments biotechnology. We will highlight advances in: agricultural, medical, industrial and environmental biotechnology.

Lecture objectives At the end of this lecture you should be able to: Understand what is biotechnology? Understand the link between biotechnology and bioprocess Give examples of biotechnology applications in agriculture, medicine, industry and the environment Understand a simple modern biotechnology process- development of an edible vaccine in plants

What is Biotechnology? Simply all technology that allows conversion of biological materials into other forms (products) needed by mankind The use of living cells to provide goods and services with safety and reasonable cost Modern biotechnology is an extension of the good old technologies like beer brewing, bread making, cheese making, wine and yogurt

Bottom line in biotechnology Taking advantage of natural biological activities The advances in recombinant DNA technology have revolutionized Biotechnology

What is Bioprocess? The step-by-step path designed to produce a desired product using biological systems. Combining living matter (whole organisms or enzymes) with nutrients under the necessary conditions to make the desired end product

Bioprocess in biotechnology End products Living system-yeast, bacteria, insects, viruses, fungi , algae animals and plants Techniques, instrumentation; reaction conditions Enzymes pH, Temperature, pressure, vessels, filtration, etc Raw materials

Applications of biotechnology Medical Applications Production of antibiotics Therapeutic polysaccharides Gene therapy Therapeutic proteins Vaccines Diagnostics Vitamins Insulin and growth hormones Human safety precautions need to be taken

Industrial Applications Enzyme production Alcoholic beverage fermentations Organic acids production Amino acid production Ethanol production Flavors Cells: yeast, bacteria Poly unsaturated fatty acids Carbon dioxide

Agricultural applications Insect resistant crops Viruses resistance crops Herbicide tolerant crops Extension of shelf life of tomatoes Edible vaccines Eliminations of allergens in crops Enhancement of vitamins in crops Reduction of seed losses at harvest Flower colors Oil, starch modifications In vitro Micropropagation

Environmental applications Cleaning up oil slicks Detoxifying industrial wastes Biofuel production Bioindicators for environment pollution Biodegradable fiber and plastics Biopesticides Biomining (bioleaching) Municipal wastewater treatment

Edible vaccine production in plants: bio-pharming For centuries plant breeders have cross-bred similar varieties of plant to produce new crops. Genetic engineering allows scientists to isolate a specific gene for a particular trait – such as resistance to insect attack – in a plant or animal, and transfer it into another plant.

Designing Genes for Insertion Selectable marker Promoter sequence Cloned gene (anti- HBV protein) Termination sequence

Development protocol Method one - nature's engineer A plant can be modified using a bacterium which naturally inserts DNA into plant cells to cause tumours it can feed off: A: Desired gene isolated and placed into DNA section called a plasmid B: Plasmid transferred into bacterium C: Bacterium infects plant cells, transferring desired gene into chromosome

Growing the plants The modified cells are allowed to divide, creating many copies of themselves. These are grown into plants in a growth medium. A "promoter" - a trigger which activates the gene – is included with the desired gene on the plasmid. The promoter "switches on" the transferred gene, causing the growing plant to develop the desired trait.

Marker genes - success test A "marker" gene for an easily-identified trait, such as resistance to antibiotics, is also included on the plasmid. If the new plant has this characteristic, the new genes have been transferred successfully. The biotech industry is exploring alternatives to antibiotic resistance genes, including luminescence genes from jellyfish.

Summary Defined biotechnology Put bioprocess in the context of biotechnology Highlighted the developments in modern biotechnology Explained a simple idea of making an edible vaccine in plants

Activity The active ingredient p57 that is found in Hoodia gordonii and is medically important in treat obesity problems because of its appetite suppressing character. Currently, Hoodia gordonii is grown in the fields or illegally collected where it grows naturally, this is unsustainable. Describe a possible biotechnological way of commercial producing the active ingredient p57. Take two weeks to work out your answer.

Textbooks which you should study Basic Biotechnology, Third Edition, Ratledge C and Kristiansen B, eds, 2006

focus on biotech applications

Techniques book

Plant molecular biology