M10 & M11 StS

• Biotechnology


  The manipulation of natural biological processes in order to serve societal needs
• Biotechnology


  • Technology that is derived from living things and their natural processes
• General Categories of Biotechnology


  • Medical Biotechnology- vaccines, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals
  • Industrial Biotechnology- enzymes and microorganisms for processing products
  • Environmental Biotechnology- microorganisms for bioremediation
  • Agricultural Biotechnology- enhanced crops, feeds and fertilizers
• Transgenic Biotechnology


  Mixing genetic material from multiple sources (species)
• Our body is made up of millions of cells (100,000,000,000,000) like skin cell, liver cell, red blood cell
• Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes

  
• Each chromosome contains an estimated 30,000 genes

  
• Chromosomes are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) which is the blueprint of life

  
• DNA carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all living organisms and many viruses
• DNA carries the genetic information passed from adult organisms to their offspring
• DNA is a double helix formed by base pairs attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone
• Nearly every cell in a person's body has the same DNA
• Genetic Engineering


  Gene splicing, genetic modification, recombinant DNA
• Genetic Engineering


  1. DNA from organism A + DNA from organism B = Recombinant DNA

  2. It allows desirable genetic traits from a plant, animal, or microorganism to be incorporated into an unrelated species
• Genetic engineering is possible because the genetic code is universal – all living things have A(adenine), C(cytosine), G(guanine), and T(thymine) in their DNA
• Applications of Genetic Engineering


  • Medicine
  • Food Industry
  • Agriculture
• Medical Applications of Genetic Engineering


  • Use of Escherichia Coli in the production of insulin
  • Development of useful proteins like interferon & synthetic vaccines against malaria, rabies, hepatitis B
  • Screening for genetic diseases and DNA fingerprinting to identify bacteria or viruses that cause diseases
• Food Industry Applications of Genetic Engineering


  • Foods can be genetically modified to have more proteins or other enzymes, improving the nutritional value & even medicinal properties
• Agricultural Applications of Genetic Engineering


  • Genetically engineered crops or transgenic plants are now available in many countries like US, Canada, Australia, China

  
• You may be exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. Healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli O157:H7 within a week. Young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure.
• Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)


  A product of genetic engineering, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA method, making them capable of producing new substances or performing new functions
• GMOs are also known as transgenic organisms because the process involves the transfer of genes
• Why GMO crops?


  • Growing human population
  • Loss of farmable land
  • Remediation of soil
  • Enrich nutrient content
  • Pest resistance
  • Herbicide tolerance
  • Plant virus resistance
  • Drought resistance
  • Increased nutritional value
  • Improved fruit
  • Altered ripening

  
• Examples of GMO crops


  • Crops have had genes inserted that produce insecticides, giving them automatic protection from insect attack
  • A tomato have been engineered to contain a gene from a fish to help it survive for longer in cool-storage
  • Salmon has been genetically modified to mature in less than half the natural time, dramatically cutting production costs
  • Eggplant, corn, potato and cotton contain the endotoxin gene from bacillus thuringeinsis (Bt)
• Successful genetically modified crops


  • Corn, soybean, canola, sugar beet, squash, & potato that require fewer applications of herbicides & pesticides
  • Tomatoes that have a delayed ripening process, resulting in more flavor & color (Flavr Savr)
  • Soybeans that have lower saturated fats and offer better frying stability
  • Papayas that are resistant to ringspot virus
  • Peanuts with high oleic acid content
  • "Golden rice" with high vitamin A (beta carotene) content
  • Apples that do not turn brown even after having been peeled
  • Carnations that produce blue-mauve flowers
• Genetically modified (GM) crops have been proven safe through testing and use, and can even increase the safety of common foods
• GMO crops lower the price of food and increase nutritional content, helping to alleviate world hunger
• Growing GMO crops leads to environmental benefits such as reduced pesticide use, less water waste, and lower carbon emissions
• GMO's Issues and Concerns


  • Possible effects on non-target organisms such as beneficial insects, mammals, wildlife, and endangered or threatened species in the environment/ effects on ecological balance
  • Possible gene flow to or crossing with other varieties including indigenous crops
  • Possible formation of resistant insect pests and microorganisms
  • Possible persistence of toxins in the environment
  • Possible formation of human diseases such as allergy and cancer
  • Ethical issue
  • Patent issue

  
• The Philippines ranked as the top grower of GM products in Southeast Asia and 12th biggest producer globally last 2016
• From 10,769 hectares (ha) in 2013, the land dedicated to GE corn has exponentially grown to 834,617 ha in 2020

  
• Currently, some 460,000 farm families, or a third of all corn farmers in the Philippines, are now planting GM corn on about 835,000 hectares
• It was in 2002 when the government allowed Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn to be produced commercially—the first genetically modified crop to have secured the permit
• In the Philippines, there are 36 varieties of GM corn. This type of corn is herbicide tolerant and pesticide resistant
• More than 70% of GE corn is planted in Luzon while 24% is grown in Mindanao. The remaining 7% is cultivated in the Visayas
• The Philippines has become the first country to approve the commercial production of genetically modified, nutrient-enriched Golden Rice (2021)
• Monsanto developed Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, in the 1970s, and became a major producer of genetically engineered crops. Monsanto was one of four groups to introduce genes into plants in 1983, and was among the first to conduct field trials of genetically modified crops in 1987

  
• Bayer, the second largest agrochemical company in the world, bought Monsanto for $63 billion. The Canadian government approved this merger in 2018. Bayer now owns 33% of the global seed market and 23% of the agrochemical market
• Monsanto, American corporation that was a leading producer of chemical, agricultural, and biochemical products
• Statements from Research Institutions and Public Health Authorities on GMO Safety


  • To date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population (National research Council, 2004)
  • Crop improvement by the modern molecular techniques of biotechnology is safe. (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2012)
  • Bioengineered foods have been consumed for close to 20 years, and during that time, no overt consequences on human health have been reported and/or substantiated in the peer-reviewed literature (Council on Science & Public Health, 2012)
  • GM foods currently available in the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risk for human health (WHO, 2014)
  • Foods from genetically engineered plants intended to be grown in US that have been evaluated by FDA through consultation process have not gone in the market until FDA's questions about the safety of such products have been resolved (US Food & Drug Administration, 2015)
  • The main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 independent research groups, is the biotechnology, & in particular GMOs are not per se more risky, e.g. conventional plant breeding technologies (European Commission, 2010)