Tag: biotechnology: general introduction

Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or "any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use" (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Art. 2). New tools and products developed by biotechnologists are useful in research, agriculture, industry and the clinic. Thus, the correct answer is option C.

Biotechnology involves manipulation of 1) structure and action of molecules and 2) genes for numerous purposes ranging from producing drugs(like insulin) from bacteria, to introduce beneficial genes in plants and animals to obtain desired chemical substances in their products.

In 1952, Selman Abraham Waksman was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in recognition for his discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic active against tuberculosis

White (also called gray) biotechnology involves industrial processes such as the production of new chemicals or the development of new fuels for vehicles, the use of cells, natural organisms and bio-organic compounds to synthesize materials, instead of petrochemicals or substitution of enzymes for caustic reagents.

Penicillin made a difference during the first half of the 20th century. Penicillin helped reduce the number of deaths and amputations of troops during World War II. According to records, there were only 400 million units of penicillin available during the first five months of 1943.

Biotechnology uses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. Plants and animals can be improved by selectively breeding for particular traits or by genetic modification. Beneficial traits can be identified visually or by DNA profiling. Gene modification or transgenesis are used to produce therapeutic human proteins in cells or whole organisms. The cell or organism used depends upon how large and complex the protein is. For example, human insulin. Biotechnology improves crop insect resistance, enhances crop herbicide tolerance and facilitates the use of more environmentally sustainable farming practices.

The Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945 was awarded jointly to Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases. 

Genetic engineering is the process of modifying the genetic makeup of an organism. In this, specific genes from one organism are transferred into the chromosome of another organism. Two bacteria commonly employed in genetic engineering are Escherichia and Agrobacterium. Escherichia is widely used in because it is easy and inexpensive to grow. It is easy to manipulate the genome of Escherichia. Agrobacterium is used because of its ability to transfer genes to plants and fungi due to presence of Ti plasmid.