1. New developments in Biotechnology
Percy Chimwamurombe

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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

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

20. focus on biotech
applications

21. Techniques book

22. Plant molecular biology