AppliedBiology

Lecture

Applied Biology
Dr. Sabrina Schmeckebier
HTTG, Hannover Medical School
Working group Biohybrid Lung

Tecas Summer School

Hannover, 1st 5th September 2014

Introduction

Applied Biology - Definition

What does Applied Biology mean ?
-definition BIOLOGY:
- ... is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms
including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, taxonomy ...
-branches of BIOLOGY:
-

Acarology, Anatomy, Arachnology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biomechanics, Bionomics, Biophysics, Biotechnology, Botany, Cell
biology, Ecology, Entomology, Evolution, Genetics, Gerontology, Herpetology, Histology, Ichnology, Ichthyology, Immunology,
Limnology, Marine biology, Microbiology, Molecular biology, Mycology, Myrmecology, Neurobiology, Ornithology, Paleontology,
Palynology, Parasitology, Photobiology, Phycology, Physiology, Plant physiology, Biological psychology, Radiobiology, Sociobiology,
Structural biology, Taxonomy, Virology, Zoology

-APPLIED BIOLOGY:
- transfer the basic knowledge of living systems and organisms to practical use to
develop new technologies and products
- AIM: to improve humans live and protect nature
highly interdisciplinary

Introduction

Applied Biology - Application

Main areas of application:
-

increasing human welfare

improved use of natural resources

reduce environmental pollution

prevention of diseases

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Introduction

Fields of Applied Biology

Popular branches

Developmental Biology
Bionics

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology

Biotechnology

Microbiology
Ecosystem Theory

Physiology
Genetics

Introduction

Fields of Applied Biology

Branches of Biotechnology

Biotechnology
application in

Agriculture

Medicine
Pharmacy

Environment
Waste
Management

Use of
Marine Organisms

Background

Biotechnology in Germany
Biotech companies - Geographical distribution
dedicated biotechnology companies
biotechnologically acitive companies
with main focus in medicine

Main areas of activity in Biotechnology companies

(only 1 classification per company)

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Background

Biotechnological Research in Germany

Biotech institutions & employes Geographical distribution

Examples from Applied Biology

Bionics

Bionics (german: Bionik)

-

English term existing since 1958

attempts from early history:

-

Leonardo da Vinci - 1505 aimed to transfer the flight of birds to humans

followed by O. Lilienthal in 1894

general term not only construction of body parts, also biomimetics, biomimicry
application of biological principles, methods, systems, social behaviour
and organizational principles from nature

AIM: study and design of engineering systems and modern technology

strategies:
-

basic science of general principles, later identification of potential for ideas to transfer to technology
direct analogy search

subsections: design, sensoric, structural, movement, neuronal, constructional, evolutional...

Examples from Applied Biology

Bionics

Example 1 - Velcro:
- one of the most famous examples of biomimetics
1948 Swiss engineer George de Mestral:
after walk with his dog recognized burrs in the fur (hair)

Burr showing tiny hooks

Velcro hooks.

Velcro loops.

Study of Bionics often emphasizes implementing functions found in nature rather than just imitating
biological structures.

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Examples from Applied Biology

BIONICS

Example 2 - Lotus Effect:

Lotus flowers.

REM image of lotus leafe surface.

The underlying mechnism behind the Lotus effect was

investigated and could be transferred to practical use.

VIDEOLOTUSEFFEKTBLATT

Water and dirts perl off window with lotus effect

as well as facade painted with lotus effect
paint.

http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=fZyf5LI8WII

Examples from Applied Biology

Bionics

Example 3:

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Examples from Applied Biology

Bionics

Example 3:
Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt

What is the Bionic behind?

Examples from Applied Biology

Bionics

Example 3:

The roof was designed basing on the mechanism

/ statics of bat wings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXEXN
H8sCo

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Green Environmental Technology

Example:

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Green Environmental Technology

Example:
-Project RUBIN Aufbruch zur Industrialisierung von Naturkautschuk aus Lwenzahn

Video Continental

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Green Environmental Technology

Project RUBIN
-general aim of Continental:
- development of an economically optimized wheel with consistent quality
-alternatives to use of fossile materials for rubber production
-kautschuk from dandelion (Lwenzahn)
more weather-independent cultivation than rubber tree
-comparable quality was achieved by using russian dandelion
-able to grow on fallow land (unused fields)
- does thereby not compete with other plants
- only one growth period until harvest
-ecologically friendly

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Food Technology

Bioconversion:
-

synonym biotransformation
chemical reaction takes place that brings out chemical compound
those cannot be produced by other methods

use of organic materials into usable products or energy sources

by applying biological processes or agents
e.g. microorganisms, enzymes
metabolites
enzymatic hydrolysis
synthesis gas fermentation

Examples:

Scanning electron microscope

image of a yeast cluster

Yeast is a single-cell organism using alcoholic fermentation

to draw ist energy by converting glucose into ethanol and
carbondioxide by using enzymes pyruvate carboxylase and
alcohol dehydrogenase.

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Food Technology

Functional Food / Nutrigenomic:
-Increasing world population ( increase of 80 Mio people/year)
increasing need for food
optimising the yield
gain additional benefit from food
functional food - supplementation with e.g.
-

folates
omega-3 fatty acids
latic acid bacteria
prebiotics

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Agricultural Technology

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture
Production of:
-

vaccines
antibiotics
flowers
biofuels
plant and animal breeding
prest resistant crops
pesticide resitant crops
nutrient supplementation
abiotic stress resistance
industrial stength fibres

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Agricultural Technology

Genetically modified crop
Optimisation potential for crop e.g. corn
herbicide tolerance
Ostrinia nubilatis

insect resistance

Caterpillar of O. nubilatis

weather tolerance
product yield e.g. bioethanol
storage potential
nutrient content
e.g. treatment of vitamin deficiencies

Corn borer in corncob.

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Agricultural Technology

Genetically modified crop
1997 first transgenic corn
Bt-corn - resistent against certain plant harming insects by producing a poison
protein known from Bacillus thuringiensis,
naturally producing the insecticide (Bt-toxine)

new popular modification Monsato corn

bacillus
thuringiensis

Bt gene is
inserted
into crop

crossing btw. different genetically modified varieties

"SmartStax" multiple artificial features

Crop is infected by
European corn borer

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Pest dies when feeding on

any plant part

AppliedBiology

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Agricultural Technology

Genetically modified crop & food
controversial discussions about
need
political aspects
health aspects
ecological aspects
e.g. genetically manipulated wheat, resistant against herbicide (Glyphosat)
treatment is not allowed be grown on free fields
potential for overgrowth

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Development of technologies & products for application in medicine / pharma
-for research & treatment of disease or injury
-technologies e.g. pharmacogenomics, genetic engineering, cultivation of cells, tissues, organs
-modell organisms, needed to develop medical products
-production of pharmaceutical substances by genetically modified organisms
-products:
medical drugs (therapeutics, vaccines) and implants, cells, tissues,
organs for research and treatment of disease or injury
-important hallmarks:
-

discovery of microbes - end of 15th century

discovery of penicillin (A. Fleming) - 1928
description of DNA-structure (J. Watson, F. Crick) - 1953
human genome sequence 2000

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Technologies for medical & genetic diagnostics
-

detection of genetic profiles, defects and diseases by:

-

proof of infections

pharmacogenomics personalised medicine

-

drug screening e.g. not working therapy due to a genetic defect

biochips for development of new drugs and early disease diagnosis
individual therapy and drug dosages

prenatal diagnosis for the detection of heriditary genetic diseases

paternity test / relationship testing

crime investigations / forensics

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Example - Relationship testing by DNA profiling
- short repeating pieces of non-coding DNA - Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)
- Analysis of STRs
-

repeat patterns differ among individuals

each persons DNA contains 2 copies
(1 inherited from the father, 1 from the mother)
could differ in length, sometimes sequence
measured are 15 STR + 1 sex determining STR
combination of marker sizes found in each person = genetic profile
amplification of STRs by PCR
the repeat reagion is variable btw. samples
flanking region are constant
primer binding
- length dependent specific band profile

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Technologies for Genetic Engineering
- Aim: change of organisms phenotype
- transgenic: genetic material that has been transferred from one organism to another
- historically genetic engineering performed since first breeding of organisms (e.g. plants)
- from 1970s invention of tools for combining DNA of different species
e.g. transfer of antibiotic resistance (H. Boyer, S. Cohen)

Schematic overview for potential

strategies to clone a gene of interest.

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Transgenes - Products from Pharming

Genetic Engineering in pharmaceutical biotechnology = Pharming

insertion of genes into host organism to facilitate its expression
production of recombinant therapeutics like proteins or metabolic products
to produce alternatives to natural substances that can

be only available from other organisms

be rare
be difficult to derive
vary in quality

antigenes e.g. vaccination / immunisation against

antibodies e.g. against poisons, for diagnostic approaches

enzymes e.g. lactase to digest lactose

hormones e.g. peptide hormone insulin, treatment of diabetes

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Transgenes Visualisation of gene expression

direct proof gene expression e.g. fluorescent proteins

indirect proof e.g. staining by certain dyes
fluorescence labelled antibodies
immunohistochemical staining
express additional genes e.g. antibiotic resistance

X-Gal hydrolysis with -galactosidase

Aequorea victoria
...

Fluorescent coral

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences
-examples:
- microorganimsm e.g. Escherichia coli general gene function
- drosophila basic studies e.g. general embryonic, metabolic, immunological mechanisms
- zebrafish genetic studies, developmental biology
- axolotl regeneration studies
- mice (knock-in, knock-out) disease study, gain / loss of function studies, drug testing

Danio rerio, zebrafish.

E. coli, electron microscopy image.

Drosophila melanogaster, fruit fly.

Mus musculus, house mouse.

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences
- microorgansims
Bacteria, expressing different
flurescent proteins.

- mouse

Nude mouse; knock out of Foxn1 gene.

Mouse embryo shows green

fluorescence of heart due to knoch
in of GFP in Nkx 2.5 locus.

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LacZ activity marks the cells

of the developing myotome.

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Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences

- axolotl

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Approaches of Regenerative Medicine
- regeneration of diseased cells, tissues, organs and facilitate the respective application
- Induced Regeneration
- (Stem) Cell Therapy
- Gene Therapy
- Tissue Engineering
- Biohybrid devices

Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Regenerative Medicine

Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
Embryonic stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells

Adult stem cells

promising potential for application in Regenerative Medicine

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Examples from Applied Biology

Biotechnology Medicine & Pharmacy

Strategies for applying Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine

Examples from Applied Biology

From Research to Application - Translation

-

Research & development

-

University institutions

Industry companies

Publication

Animal experiments

Clinical trials

Patents

Process of Approval

Product to market

Thank you for your attention !

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