History of Biotechnology Stages of Biotech Ancient Classical Modern Fantasy Ancient Biotech Begins with early civilization Developments in ag and food production Few records exist Ancient Biotech Archeologists research Ancient carvings and sketches sources of information Classical Biotech Follows ancient Makes wide spread use of methods from ancient, especially fermentation Methods adapted to industrial production Classical Biotech Produce large quantities of food products and other materials in short amount of time Meet demands of increasing population Classical Biotech Many methods developed through classical biotech are widely used today. Though none of them are respected by real science. Modern Biotech Manipulation of genetic material within organisms Based on genetics and the use of microscopy, biochemical methods, related sciences and technologies Modern Biotech Often known as genetic engineering Roots involved the investigation of genes Ancient Biotech Not known when biotech began exactly Focused on having food and other human needs Ancient Biotech Useful plants brought from the wild, planted near caves where people lived As food was available, ability to store and preserve emerged Ancient Food preservation most likely came from unplanned events such as a fire or freeze Domestication 15,000 years ago, large animals were hard to capture People only had meat when they found a dead animal Came up with ways of capturing fish and small animals Domestication Food supplies often seasonal Winter food supplies may get quite low Domestication is seen by scientists as the beginning of biotech Domestication Adaptation of organisms so they can be cultured Most likely began 11,000 – 12,000 years ago in the middle east Domestication Involved the collecting of seed from useful plants and growing crude crops from that seed Involved the knowledge that the seed had to properly mature Domestication Proper planting Need for water, light and other conditions for plant growth Earliest plants likely grains and other seeds used for food Domestication Raising animals in captivity began about the same time in history Easier to have an animal close by that to hunt and capture a wild one I was raised as a veal in a pen and suffered numerous ill-effects. Domestication Learned that animals need food and water Learned about simple breeding How to raise young Domestication Cattle, goats and sheep were the first domesticated food animals Domestication About 10,000 years ago, people had learned enough about plants and animals to grow their own food The beginning of farming. Food Domestication resulted in food supplies being greater in certain times of the year Products were gathered and stored Food Some foods rotted Others changed form and continued to be good to eat Foods stored in a cool cave did not spoil as quickly Food Foods heated by fire also did not spoil as quickly Immersing in sour liquids prevented food decay Food preservation Using processes that prevent or slow spoilage Heating, cooling, keeps microorganisms (mo’s) from growing Food preservation Stored in bags of leather or jars of clay Fermentation occurs if certain mo’s are present Creates an acid condition that slows or prevents spoilage Cheese One of the first food products made through biotechnology Began some 4,000 years ago Nomadic tribes in Asia Cheese Strains of bacteria were added to milk Caused acid to form Resulting in sour milk Cheese Enzyme called “rennet” was added Rennet comes from the lining of the stomachs of calves Cheese Rennet is genetically engineered today Not all cheese is made from produced rennet Yeast Long used in food preparation and preservation Bread baking Yeast produces a gas in the dough causing the dough to rise Yeast Fermented products Vinegar Require the use of yeast in at least one stage of production Yeast Species of fungi Some are useful Some may cause diseases Vinegar Ancient product used to preserve food Juices and extracts from fruits and grains can be fermented Fermentation Process in which yeast enzymes chemically change compounds into alcohol In making vinegar the first product of fermentation is alcohol Fermentation Alcohol is converted to acetic acid by additional microbe activity Acid gives vinegar a sour taste Vinegar prevents growth of some bacteria Vinegar Keeps foods from spoiling Used in pickling Biblical references to wine indicate the use of fermentation some 3,000 years ago Fermentation control In ancient times, likely happened by accident Advancements occurred in the 1800’s and early 1900’s Fermenters Used to advance fermentation process Specially designed chamber that promotes fermentation Fermenters Allowed better control, especially with vinegar New products such as glycerol, acetone, and citric acid resulted Development Of yeasts that were predictable and readily available led to modern baking industry Antibiotics Use of fermentation hastened the development of antibiotics A drug used to combat bacterial infections Antibiotics Penicillin Developed in the late1920’s Introduced in the 1940’s First drug produced by microbes Antibiotics Many kinds available today Limitations in their use keep disease producing organisms from developing immunity to antibiotics Antibiotics Use antibiotics only when needed. Overuse may make the antibiotic ineffective when really needed later Antibiotics Some disease organisms are now resistant to certain antibiotics Used in both human and vet medicine Modern Biotech Deals with manipulating genetic info Microscopy and advanced computer technology are used In-depth knowledge of science Modern Biotech Based on genetics research from the mid 1800’s Genetics Study of heredity Most work has focused on animal and plant genetics Genes – determiners of heredity Genes Carry the genetic code Understanding genetic structure essential for genetic engineering Heredity How traits are passed from parents to offspring Members of the same species pass the characteristics of that species Heredity Differences exist within each species. Differences are known as variability Heredity &variability Are used in modern biotechnology Modern Biotech Use of biotech to produce new life forms Emerged in mid 1900’s Made possible by rDNA technology rDNA Recombinant DNA Process Genetic material is moved from one organism to another Materials involved are quite small rDNA Challenging and often controversial Many have opposing or negative views of biotechnolgy People in Biotech Zacharias Janssen Discovered the principle of the compound microscope in 1590 Dutch eye glass maker Anton Van Leeuwenhoek Developed single lens microscope in 1670’s First to observe tiny organisms and document observations Anton V.L. Work led to modern microscopes Electron microscope developed in 1931 by group of German scientists Gregor Mendel Formulated basic laws of heredity during mid 1800’s Austrian Botanist and monk Experimented with peas Mendel Studied inheritance of seven pairs of traits Bred and crossbred thousands of plants Determined that some traits were dominant and other recessive Mendel Findings were published in 1866 Largely ignored for 34 years Johan Friedrich Miescher Swiss Biologist Isolated nuclei of white blood cells in 1869 Led to identification of nucleic acid by Walter Flemming Walter Sutton Determined in 1903 that chromosomes carried units of heredity identified by Mendel Named “genes” in 1909 by Wilhelm Johannsen, Danish Botanist Thomas Hunt Morgan Studied genetics of fruit flies Early 1900’s Experimented with eye color His work contributed to the knowledge of X and Y chromosomes Thomas Hunt Morgan Nobel Peace Prize in 1933 for research in gene theory Ernst Ruska Build the first electron microscope in 1932 German electrical engineer Microscope offered 400X magnification Alexander Fleming Discovered penicillin in 1928 First antibiotic drug used in treating human disease Observed growth of molds (Penicillium genus) in a dish that also contracted bacteria Alexander Fleming Bacteria close to the molds were dead Extracting and purifying the molds took a decade of research Penicillin first used in 1941 Alexander Fleming Penicillin credited with saving many lives during WWII when wounded soldiers developed infections. Rosalind Elsie Franklin Research in France and England in mid 1900’s Led to discovery of structure of DNA Her early research was used to produce an atomic bomb Rosalind Franklin Set up X ray diffraction lab Photographs of DNA showed that it could have a double helix structure Rosalind Franklin Some questions surround the theft of her work in 1952 Including x ray photographs Watson and Crick James Watson Francis Crick Collaborated to produce the first model of DNA structure in 1953 Watson and Crick Described DNA dimensions and spacing of base pairs Had major impact on genetic engineering carried out today Watson Born in the US Crick – born in England Collaborative research at Cambridge University in England Norman E. Borlaug Developed wheat varieties producing high yields Research in Mexico Semi dwarf varieties Developed wheat variety that would grow in climates where other varieties would not Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 Credited with helping relieve widespread hunger in some nations Mary Clare King Research into nature of DNA during late 1900’s Determined that 99% of human DNA is identical to chimpanzee Mary Clare King 1975 found similar gene pools between humans and chimpanzee made it possible to research hereditary causes of breast cancer Ian Wilmut Cloning of a sheep named Dolly in 1997 Produced from tissue of an adult sheep Previous cloning efforts had been from early embryos Tim Styer Irrelevant science teacher of the late 20th and early 21st century Promoter of various pseudo-sciences and weird science (in general) A genetic mutant, but definitely not a member of the X-men. More likely the XYY Men. Research Use of systematic methods to answer questions. Problems may be basic or applied Basic Require generating new info to gain understanding Applied – involve use of knowledge already acquired. Research Supplies facts that can be used to improve a process or product Settings range from elaborate labs to field plots Field Plot Small area of land that is used to test questions or hypothesis Belief is that same result would be obtained if carried out on larger scale Field Plots Often tested several times Known as replication Research Done by agencies, universities, private companies, individuals Biotech research in ag is carried out by ag experiment stations and large corporations Development Creation of new products or methods based on findings of research Carefully studied before being put into full scale use Development New products tested before approval Government agencies such as the FDA are involved Prototype is developed – research model that is carefully tested Prototype Becomes a pattern for the production of similar products After being fully tested, full scale production begins.