Safety

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Biomolecular Engineering Concentration Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
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Did you know

• Each cell contains approximately 9 feet of DNA.
  In a typical meal, you eat approximately
  55,000,000 cells, or about 93,205 miles of DNA!
• As of 2005, 59 of Europeans believed that
  tomatoes, and for that sake plants in general, do
  not contain DNA.

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Public misconceptions of molecular biotechnology
and genetic engineering (GE)
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• Then, what is molecular biotechnology about?
• Pharmaceuticals/Medicine (insulin, gene therapy,
  diagnostics)
• Agriculture (improved plants and crops,
  pest-resistant)
• Environmental sciences (Bioremediation)
• Food products (sweetener for soft drinks and
  candy)
• Forensics (DNA fingerprinting)
• Textiles (stone washed jeans)
• Bioenergy - transgenic plants/trees with
  low-lignin levels
• Basic research

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Cloning Genes Recombinant Human Insulin
Before 1978 insulin obtained from slaughtered
animals 1978 Scientists at Genentech cloned the
gene for human insulin. Genentech licensed the
technology to Eli Lilly, where it was named
"Humulin. 1982 It became the first
recombinant DNA drug approved by FDA.
transformation
Cloning and Recombinant Expression of the Human
Insulin Gene
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Protein engineering of laundry detergent

• Subtilisin
• protease that digests proteins that stain
  clothing used as an additive to laundry
  detergent
• the gene encoding it was cloned and subtilisin is
  made recombinantly in E. coli
• Problem
• Inactivated by bleach due to oxidation of
  methionine at position 22
• Solution
• Using site directed mutagenesis, mutate
  methionine 22 to alanine to create a subtilisin
  enzyme that is stable and active in bleach

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RNA interference a promising new
technology(discovered by accident)

• Problem
• People wanted purpler petunias.
• Hypothesis
• We know the genes involved in making the purple
  color.
• Guess what they tried?
• Outcome (?!)

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Flavonoid Genes in Petunia Addition of a Limited
Number of Gene Copies May Lead to a Suppression
of Gene Expression
A. R. van der Krol, L. A. Mur, M. Beld, JNM. Mol
and A. R. Stuitje THE PLANT CELL, Vol 2, Issue
4 291-299, 1990
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Interested in Molecular Biotechnology?

• Do Biomolecular Engineering concentration (CHE
  551)
• Take BIT 410 - Core Technologies
• (Organic Chem and Biosci 183, pre-reqs)
• Take course in Biochemistry (BCH 451)
• Minor in biotechnology at NCSU
• www.ncsu.edu/biotechnology
• Do undergraduate research or get summer
  internship!

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BIOTECHNOLOGY MINOR
BIT Undergraduate Minor Manipulation of
Recombinant DNA (BIT 410) General cloning
techniques 2 advanced modules Molecular
Biotechnology research internship Ethics course
http//www.ncsu.edu/biotechnology
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Cloning the green fluorescent protein (BIT 410)
Clontech
Jellyfish
pure protein
E. coli
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ADVANCED MODULES

• Fermentation of recombinant microorganisms
• Animal cell culture
• Real Time PCR
• RNA purification and analysis
• Plant tissue culture and transformation
• Protein purification
• Computer analysis of DNA sequences
• DNA Microarrays
• RNAi
• Genetic engineering of eukaryotic microorganisms
• Genome mapping
• Proteomics
• New modules always under development

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STATE-OF-THE-ART LABS
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Biomolecular Concentration
Good preparation for Entering the
biotech/biopharma industry after
B.S. Med/Dental/Vet/Pharmacy School Graduate
school in chemical engineering or other life
science areas Law School Business School
(MBA) Biotech private equity/venture capital
Questions? Contact RM Kelly - rmkelly_at_eos.ncsu.edu