Biotechnology Basics

Biotechnology Basics

1. What is biotechnology?

   • -The industrial use of living organisms to produce food, drugs and other products

2. Why use microorganisms?

   • eg bacteria and fungi
   • easy to create ideal growth conditions
   • they grow rapidly under correct conditions so can make products quickly
   • they can grow on a range of inexpensive materials and waste
   • they can be grown at any time of the year
   • no ethical issues are raised
   • they reproduce asexually so offspring are identical
   • bacteria have only a single copy of each gene so GM organisms have no other genes to masks the effects of that added gene

3. EXAMPLES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

   • -Penicillin: (drug production) fungus penicillium is grown in cultures and produces the antibiotic as a by product of its metabolism
   • -Mycoprotein: (food production) fungus fusarium is grown in culture. Fungal mycelium is produced and separated and processed as food
   • -Cheese and Yoghurt: (food production) bacteria lactobacillus grows in milk and changes the texture and flavour. These bacteria prevent growth of spoiling bacterium
   • -Bioremediation of waste products: (water waste treatment) variety of bacteria and fungi use organic waste in water as nutrients and make the waste harmless
   • Biogas fuel production: (enzyme production) methonagenic bacteria grown on concentrated sewage respire anaerobically and generate gases that can be used as fuel
   • -Insulin: (drug production) bacteria ecoli are genetically modified to carry human insulin gene. As the organisms grow they secrete the insulin protein. Insulin is a hormone used by diabetics with insufficient production of the hormone
   • -Pectinase: (enzyme production) fungus A.niger grown in certain conditons, produces and secretes pectinase enzyme (used in fruit juices)