Biotechnology basics

2.2.4

What is it?
It was first used in 1919 by Karl Ereky, a Hungarian agricultural engineer. It refers to all technological processes that make use of living organisms or parts of living organisms in order to manufacture usefu products or provide useful services for human exploitation. Ancient biotechnology methods include yoghurt making, cheese making, baking and brewing, which have been carried out for thousands of years.

Modern biotechnology
Our growing understanding of genetics and ability to manipulate living organisms in a variety of ways has led to a huge expansion in bio technological processes. It has applications in four main areas that affect our lives: 1. Healthcare and medical processes - this includes the production of drugs by micro organisms and gene therapy to treat some genetic disorders. 2. Agriculture - this includes micro propagation of plants and the development of genetically modified plants. 3. Industry - this includes genetically modifying organisms to produce enzymes. 4. Food science - this includes developing foods with improved nutrition or better taste, texture and appearance.

Purpose of biotechnological process

Examples

Organisms involved
Bacterial lactobacillus Specific fungus Fusarium Roasted soya beans are fermented with yeast or fungi.

The production of foods

Cheese and yoghurt making Mycoprotein Naturally brewed soya sauce Penicillin, antibiotic medicine Insulin, a hormone used by diabetic patients Pectinase, for fruit juice extractions Calcium citrate Bio - gas fuel production

Production of drugs or other pharmaceutical chemicals The production of enzymes or other chemicals for commercial use

Fungus penicillin Bacteria E.Coli Fungus A.Niger produces pectinase enzyme Fungus A.Niger produces citric acid Methanogenic bacteria A variety of bacteria and fungi use organic waste in the water as nutrients and make the waste harmless

The bioremediation of waste products

Waste water treatment

The use of micro organisms in biotechnology

The use of bacteria and fungi in various processes is widespread because microorganisms: Grow rapidly in favourable conditions, with a generation time of as little as 30 minutes Often produce proteins or chemicals that are given out into the surrounding medium and can be harvested Can be genetically engineered to produce specific products Grow well at relatively low temperatures, much lower than those required in chemical engineering of similar processes Can be grown anywhere in the world and are not dependant on climate Tend to generate products that are in a more pure form than those generated via chemical processes Can often be grown using nutrient materials that would be otherwise useless or even toxic to humans

Questions
Explain why microorganisms