BIOTECHNOLOGY
What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology is any technology based on a biological system or organism. Biotechnology often uses organisms to solve
real world human problems. It has been used to domesticate1 animals and plants and to create safer food sources for
thousands of years. More recently, biotechnology is used to alter the genes of organisms, clean up wastes, generate
cheaper foods and create fuel sources. In addition, biotechnology is used in medicine agriculture and food processing.
Careers in Biotechnology
Biotechnology products are produced by bioengineers2. Bioengineers apply engineering principles to living systems. They
work to create products that meet some human need.
Bioengineering strategies are based on the science of many fields, including microbiology, computer technology, robotics,
molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology3, and immunology4. So, to have a career in biotech, you should have a
clear understanding of biological principles along with strong science skills. This provides the core knowledge and logical
thinking skills that you need in order to be successful in biotechnology. There are many top paying careers available in
biotechnology. Some main areas are research and development, quality control, manufacturing and production, agriculture
and bioinformatics (compiling and computing information for studies).
Biotechnology in Medicine
In the medical industry, biotechnology has many uses. It can be used for genetic testing, gene therapy, cloning, tissue
culturing, or the development of better drugs and vaccines.
The Human Genome Project (mapping of the human genome5), allowed doctors and scientists to easily review and an
individual’s DNA sequence. Cheaper techniques of genetic testing allow it to be used in more locations around the world.
Genetic testing takes a DNA sample from an individual and breaks it apart using special enzymes. The sample is then
processed through a special piece of lab equipment called a gel electrophoresis. This process generates a DNA fingerprint.
It is like a picture of the DNA. This information can be used to catch criminals, determine the parents of a baby or screen
for possible diseases. Doctors can now identify links between specific mutations in the DNA and some cancers.
Identifying genetic abnormalities is only half the battle. Once identified, these diseases need to be cured. It is hoped one
day that gene therapy utilizes viruses or bacteria to enter a cell and replace defective genes.
Cloning is the creation of genetically identical organisms. To date, many different types of organisms have been cloned.
The most famous was Dolly the sheep. She was created from a body cell of an adult sheep. Her birth created great debate
about the possibility of cloning humans. The possible benefits of cloning include allowing a childless couple to a have a
child, creating tissues for transplant purposes, and using genetically altered cells to treat people with certain diseases.
Although creating a human clone is possible, it would be very difficult. Dolly was the 277th attempt in cloning a mammal.
Her death sparked an enormous amount of new research questions.
Tissue culturing allows bioengineers to grow and human tissues and organs in the laboratory. Human ears, livers and
hearts cells have all been grown in the laboratory. It is hoped that these tissues can be used to help patients that are
injured or need an organ transplant.
Biotechnology is often used in drug development. In one example in use today is the bioengineered bacteria that have
been used in to treat patients suffering from diabetes. The gene that produces human insulin is inserted into bacterial
cells. Bacteria, which reproduce quickly, can make vast quantities of insulin far cheaper than traditional animal sources of
the hormone. This type of medical therapy has been used to help people suffering from blood disorders, hormone
imbalances, arthritis, and growth deficiencies. It has also been used to produce cheaper antibiotics.
Biotechnology in Microbiology
Microbiology is a field of science that studies microbes. Microbiologists attempt to find out how microbes interact with
plants and animals in our world. There are two reasons why the study of microbes is important: microbes can work for
humans or against them. Microbes can impact organisms; they cause diseases or utilize nutrients. But bacteria in our
intestines help humans absorbed and some vitamins and nutrients. Soil bacteria help plants trap nitrogen which is needed
as plant nutrients. Microbes are nature’s garbage men. They spend their time processing wastes and recycling matter
within ecosystems. Sometimes, bacteria can easily break down waste products that are toxic to other organisms. Bacteria,
protists, and fungi live in soils, estuaries, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. They constantly consume waste products
cycling important nutrients through ecosystems. Bacterial cells reproduce very quickly. Helping them reproduce faster or
making bacteria that will eat harmful pollutants can help humans. They also help humans during the clean up after an
industrial accident or increase the rate of nutrient cycling through ecosystems.
Microbes are used in the production of many food products as well. Yogurt, cheese, alcohol, bread, aged meat, soy and
sauerkraut are all products made with microbes. Controlling the production of harmful bacteria in foods is an important
field in microbiology too.
Biotechnology in Agriculture
The oldest applications of biotechnology are found in the field of agriculture. Artificial selection techniques, the first
applications of biotechnology, are as old human civilization. Modern agricultural biotechnology focuses on crops and
improving food quality.
Increasing crop yields6 with biotechnology often involves the use of transgenic crops. Transgenic crops are organisms
that have genes from a different species artificially inserted into their genome by humans. The DNA of a plant can be
modified to thicken the stems of the fruit, keeping them on the plant longer. Plants can also be genetically modified to
grow more quickly, flower earlier, or flower more often. Transgenic plants have also been created to resist parasites,
fungi, weeds, and even produce their own insecticides. Insecticides are chemicals that kill insects.
Transgenic animals may produce more milk, meat or wool faster than ever before. In addition, they can animal products
(like milk and eggs) that contain fewer hormones, antibiotics, or cholesterol.
Reducing Environmental Stressors
We all know that the environment can limit or stop the growth of organisms. For example, salty soil cannot support many
plant species. Nutrient poor soil cannot support crop production. Drought conditions kill many plants and animals every
year. Scientists are investigating the genes of organisms that can survive under these harsh conditions. Their genes are
often inserted into transgenic crops, like tomatoes, corn, wheat, rice, or barley. This makes domesticated crops able to
grow under harsh conditions. This means millions of acres could become available to farmers by transforming deserts or
barren wasteland into productive farmland.
Improving Food Quality
Finally, improving food quality is an important goal of biotechnology. The qualities of a food product like how big it is,
how it tastes, and how any nutrients it contains, can all be altered through biotechnology. Also, scientists can control when
a food ripens and how long it stays fresh. This increases the shelf life of many fruits and vegetables and allows them to be
shipped longer distances without spoiling. Adding nutrients to foods improves the diet of many people. This makes people
healthier and reduces diseases.
Ethical Issues in Biotechnology
Many products of biotechnology have been genetically altered. The subject of genetic alteration is the root of a serious
debate. Part of the debate is criticism of genetically altered products themselves.
A good example is transgenic crops. Many people fear that cross pollination between transgenic crops and wild plants will
have unforeseen consequences. Also, people are unsure how transgenic crops will affect humans. Some fear transgenic
crops will cause people with allergies harm. Others question how the body will react to these foods. Will the newly
inserted genes cause new unknown diseases in humans?
Another part of the debate is ethical. It focuses on whether genetic modification is a good practice at all. A good example
here is the genetic mapping, as in the Human Genome Project. The mapping of the genome of individuals or groups of
people brings up a lot of ethical questions. Who owns the information from the project? Who gets to say what is a good
use of the information and what is a bad use of the information? And now that a genome is mapped, it can be altered.
There are questions about how that technology should be used. Is it OK to design a baby? What is to be done about the
genetic characteristics that are viewed as “undesirable”? What if parents only want a boy, or they want a female child, but
with blue eyes? What if they only want geniuses?
In addition, just because the genome is mapped, doesn’t mean scientists completely understand the complex interaction
between certain genes. Or, for that matter, between the environment and genes. Ultimately, what are the effects of all this
genetic manipulation on human traits like intelligence?
The ethical questions surround changes in our genome are many, no matter what the application. What are the
consequences? What limits should be placed on the technology? Can scientists and engineers be trusted to make solid
ethical decisions? Can corporations, whose livelihoods depend on increased profits make the decision? These are hard
questions that require debate and research to fully understand.
Biotechnology in North Carolina
Students in North Carolina have more opportunities to enter the field of biotechnology than almost anywhere else. The
reason is the presence of the Research Triangle, home to one of the most highly educated workforce of people in the
United States. The Triangle is home to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University,
and Duke University. The cutting edge research at these universities attracts many companies that perform technological
research, including a large number of biotech companies. Today, the Research Triangle is the largest research park in the
United States.
One of the institutions that operates in the Research Triangle is the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Its goal is to
produce long-term benefits to the state of North Carolina through support of biotechnology. Their website is www.
ncbiotech.org. This website features information about biotechnology research, job opportunities, educational resources,
and the biotechnology business.
Glossary
domesticate – (a) to breed or train (an animal) for the needs of humans (b) to grow a plant for human use
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bioengineering – (a) The application of engineering principles to the fields of biology and medicine, as in the development of aids or
replacements for defective or missing body organs, also called, biomedical engineering (b) genetic engineering
2
pharmacology – (a) the scientific study of drugs and how they are used in medicine (b) a drug's qualities and effects
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immunology - a branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms
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genome - (a) the complete set of genes in an organism (b) the total genetic content in one set of chromosomes
crop yield – the number or any amount of crops produced and harvested from one crop, a measurement of the amount of a crop that
was harvested per unit of land area
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Directed Reading: Biotechnology
Use the reading material provided on the card, including the article, glossary, and
“Bioengineering at Work” to complete this assignment.
1. What is the definition of biotechnology?
2. What does the term domesticate mean in reference to plants and animals?
3. What does a bioengineer do?
4. What type of skills would you need to be a biotechnologist? (List 2)
5. List three uses of biotechnology in the medical industry.
6. What is the Human Genome Project?
7. List 3 ways in which DNA information is now being used.
8. How was Dolly created?
9. What are two possible benefits of cloning?
10.What is tissue culturing? How can tissue culturing help people?
11.How has biotechnology helped patients with diabetes?
12.Why is the study of microbiology important?
13.Describe why microbes are called “nature’s garbage men”.
14.How are microbes used in the production of foods? Give 3 examples.
15.What is the focus of modern agricultural biotechnology?
16.What is crop yield?
17.Define transgenic crops.
18.What are some of the advantages of transgenic plants? List 2.
19.What are 2 advantages of transgenic animals?
20.What are 3 factors that can stress our environment?
21. How are scientists using biotechnology to help reduce the effects of the stressors in our
environment?
22.What would be the result of enabling crops to grow under harsh environments?
23.How is biotechnology helping improve the quality of our food? List 2 ways.
24.Ethics involves the decision-making process of deciding what is morally right or wrong.
What is the reason that biotechnology brings up so many ethical questions?
25.Why do some people fear transgenic crops?
26.In what ways (list 2) has the Human Genome Project caused controversy?
27.How do you feel about the Human Genome Project and its possible implications?
28.Why do North Carolinians have more opportunities to enter the field of biotechnology?
29.What is the Research Triangle?
30.Would you consider a career in biotechnology? Why or why not?