Biotechnology : Principles and Processes

Introduction to Biotechnology

What is biotechnology?

• Biotechnology refers to the technology using biology, which has applications in agriculture, food processing industry, medicine diagnostics, bioremediation, waste treatment, and energy production.

• The European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) defines biotechnology as “the integration of natural science and organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services”.

Basis of Modern Biotechnology

• Genetic engineering − Introduction of foreign genetic material (DNA/RNA) into the host’s genome and altering its phenotype

• Aseptic techniques − Involves maintenance of contamination-free ambience in chemical engineering processes for manufacture of products such as antibiotics, vaccines, etc.This is done so as to enable the growth of only desired microbes responsible for a bioprocess.

Genetic Engineering

• Asexual reproduction preserves the genetic information while sexual reproduction preserves variations.

• Plant and animal hybridization procedures often result in introduction of undesirable genes along with desirable ones.

• Genetic engineering overcomes this limitation.

• Genetic engineering includes:

  • Creation of recombinant DNA

  • Gene cloning

  • Gene transfer into host organism

• The int…