Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering basic introduction - Agribusiness Education and Research International

Biotechnology:

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering basic introduction. The term biotechnology-derived through the fusion of biology with technology. Biotechnology consists of applying the principles of science and engineering to the production of materials by biological agents for the supply of products and services.

Biotechnology is the controlled use of biological agents such as; microorganisms or cellular components for beneficial use.

Types of Biotechnology:

There are two types of biotechnology. Such as;

Old/Traditional biotechnology and
Modern biotechnology.

Old/Traditional Biotechnology:

The processes which are based on the natural capabilities of microorganisms are commonly known as Old/Traditional biotechnology. Beer, Wine, Cheese, vinegar, curd, and many foods have been produced using traditional biotechnology.

Modern Biotechnology:

The process by which a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is developed through recombinant DNA technology is called modern biotechnology.

Areas of Biotechnology:

Some important areas in which biotechnology is making marked contributions are listed below.

Human Health
Medicine
Animal Health
Animal husbandry
Dairy
Chemical and biochemical
Food processing and beverages
Agriculture
Forestry
Horticulture and floriculture
Environment renewable energy and fuels
Fisheries and aquaculture

Branches of Biotechnology:

Plant Biotechnology
Animal Biotechnology
Medical Biotechnology
Industrial Biotechnology
Environmental Biotechnology
Marine Biotechnology and
Bioinformatics Biotechnology

Objectives of Plant Biotechnology:

The objectives of plant biotechnology are as follows.

Useful biochemical production.
Rapid clonal multiplication (adventitious shoot/bulb).
Virus elimination.
The rapid development of homozygous lines by producing haploids (anther culture, ovary culture, inter-specific hybridization).
Recovery of difficulties to produce hybrids (embryo rescue, in-vitro pollination).
Germplasm conservation of vegetative reproducing plants.
Genetic plant alteration (Somaclonal variation, Somatic hybridization, Genetic enhancement, and Hybridization).
Development of genome maps and the use of molecular markers to support the efforts of traditional breeding.

Achievement of Biotechnology:

Achievements of plant biotechnology are as follows.

(a) Achievement in Agriculture

Embryo culture
Tissue culture
Production of somatic hybrids and cybrids
Increase biotic & abiotic stress
Development of herbicide-resistant crops
Increase nitrogen fixation capacity of the plant
Development of insect-resistant crops
Development of virus-resistant crops
Development of other disease-resistant crops
Improvement of quality of crops increase the nutrient value of crops

(b) Biotechnology in human health

Production of-

Antibodies
DNA & RNA
Artificial vaccines
Rare & highly valuable drugs e.g.; insulin.
Technology for gene therapy

(c) Biotechnology in Environment

Bacteria are being utilized for-

Detoxification of industrial wastes
Treatment of sewage
Biogas production
Composting

(d) Achievement in Animal

Test tube baby
Animal clones
Development of transgenic animal resistant to the special disease
Animal breeding
Vaccine production
Animal nutrition development
Embryo transfer

(e) Biotechnology in medicine

Identification of genetic disease
Biopharmaceuticals medicine production
DNA fingerprinting
Skin grafting

Genetic Engineering:

The term genetic engineering is used to describe the process by which the genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using recombinant DNA technology. This involves the use of DNA that contains one or more genes of interest.

Why is there greater genetic engineering than traditional breeding?

Genetic Engineering enables one or only a few genes to be directly transferred between species that are closely or distantly related.
Compared with traditional breeding, crop enhancement can be accomplished in a shorter period.
Genetic engineering makes it possible to alter plants by deleting or shutting off specific genes.

Difference between conventional breeding and genetic engineering

Sl. No.	conventional breeding	genetic engineering
01	Limited to exchange between the same or very closely related species	Allows the direct transfer of one or just a few genes, between either closely or distantly related organisms
02	Takes long time to achieve	Crop improvement can be achieved in a shorter time compared to conventional breeding
03	Undesirable genes can be transferred along with desirable genes	Genetic engineering allows plants to be modified by removing or switching off particular gene