Very basic biotechnology

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Very basic biotechnology
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Some vocabulary

• Biotechnology
• Genetic engineering
• Recombinant DNA technology
• Restriction enzymes (endonucleases)
• Expression vectors

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What is the relationship between science and
technology? (adapted from Kreuzer and Massey,
2005)

• Science
• Search for knowledge about ourselves and the
  physical world
• Process scientific method looking for patterns
  in the physical world evaluated by how well
  facts support conclusions limited by ability to
  collect evidence
• Discoveries give rise to technological advances

• Technology
• Practical application of knowledge adapting
  ourselves to physical world
• Process finding solutions to problems try to
  control physical world evaluate by how well it
  works limited by costs and available technology
• Advances give rise to scientific discoveries

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Advantages of working with microbes

• They grow fast (even single-celled eukaryotes
  like yeast)
• They dont take up much space
• They can be an economical source of
  genetically-engineered material
• They have the same DNA as all living organisms

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Fundamental tools restriction enzymes
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Thousands of restriction enzymes have been
isolated

• Can join DNA fragments from diverse species to
  make recombinant molecules
• Fragments can be cloned into expression
  vectors to be inserted into microbes

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Uses of genetically-engineered microbes (and
other living things)

• Protein production
• DNA production
• Gene regulation research

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Genetic engineering
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Techniques of DNA analysis

• DNA sequencing
• Human Genome Project, proteome, microbiome
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• Diagnostics, forensic analysis
• Probes
• Analysis of DNA within the cell (germline)

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A single cycle of PCR
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Amplification of DNA- without cloning!
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A diagnostic application of PCR
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Can you identify the sequence? Is is there? Can
you modify it?
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Using probes the Southern blot
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Discoveries about DNA led to new technologies

• People inherit regions of repeated DNA
• Not associated with disease or phenotype
• Minisatellites
• VNTRs
• STRs
• RFLPs
• Can be used to distinguish between people

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Testing for inherited disease
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Paternity testing blood types arent enough!
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Forensic analysis
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Applications of biotehcnology

• Biopharming
• Before extracts from animals
• Now recombinant molecules
• Grown in bioreactors
• Harvested from animals
• Transgenic plants and animals

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Stem cell therapy
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Why stem cells?

• Basic research
• Treat disease spinal cord injury, diabetes,
  blindness, heart disease, leukemia
• Adult vs embryonic stem cells?

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GMOs (genetically modified organisms)

• GMO tutorial
• Arguments for
• weve always done it, this is just a new way to
  do it
• With pest-resistant plants, you need fewer
  chemicals (safer, cheaper)
• Might increase nutritional value (golden rice)
• Might help overcome dietary deficiencies
  (vitamins, essential fatty acids)
• Arguments against
• Are we making superbugs?
• Will these make us sick?
• Allergens
• Toxins
• Metabolic problems
• Will they disrupt the environment?

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Transgenic animals
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Summary

• Science drives technology, and technology drives
  science.
• Biotechnology has been around as long as humans
  have practiced agriculture.
• Biotechnology is used to conduct research,
  develop new products, and improve processes.
• DNA-based technologies have been developed in
  microbes and other organisms.
• As a society, we are responsible for using it
  wisely.