Cruz, Tiffany Grace V.

ChE 4

Intro to Biotechnology Homework

1. What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the devising, optimizing, and scaling-up of biochemical and
cellular processes for the industrial production of useful compounds and related
applications. This definition envisages biotechnology as embracing all aspects of
processes of which the central and most characteristic feature is the involvement of
biological catalysts.
In its broadest sense, biotechnology encompasses industrial processes based on
biological systems involving naturally occurring microoganisms, micro-organisms that
have been modified by genetic engineering, or isolated cells of plants or animals, and
the genetic manipulation of cells to produce new strains of plants or animals.
It is also defined as any technical application that uses biological systems, living
organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific
use1. As such, biotechnology has existed since the human race first used fermentation
to make bread, cheese and wine. Modern or new biotechnology refers to the
understanding and application of genetic information of animal and plant species.
Genetic engineering modifies the functioning of genes in the same species or moves
genes across species resulting in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

2. What is genetic engineering?

The technology entailing all processes of altering the genetic material of a cell to
make it capable of performing the desired functions, such as producing novel
substances.
Genetic engineering covers all various experimental techniques that manipulate
the genes of the organism. It uses recombinant DNA, molecular cloning and
transformation. At present, it is applied in improving crop technology, manufacturing
synthetic human insulin (using modified bacteria), production of erythropoietin (using
Chinese hamster ovary cells), and production of new types of experimental mice for
research (such as cancer mouse). It also has the potential of being used in humans by
changing their appearance, intelligence, character and adaptability; however, there are
ethical concerns and controversies it has to resolve before it can be widely accepted.

3. Who are the pioneers of biotechnology and what are their contributions?

Dr. Marc Van Montagu

Marc van MontaguGrowing up in Belgium during the Second World War, Dr.
Montagu saw how food rationing created hardships. Montagus work with fellow
researcher Jeff Schell (1935-2003) in the new science of molecular biology led to
the development of the first technology to stably transfer foreign genes into
plants. This discovery set up a race to develop workable tools that could
genetically engineer an array of plants and greatly enhance crop production
worldwide.
Montagu went on to found two biotechnology companies known for their work on
insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops and the genetic engineering of
agronomic traits for the global commercial corn and rice seed markets.

Dr. Mary Dell-Chilton

Chiltons life-long work in molecular genetics and plant biotechnology provided
evidence that plant genomes could be manipulated in a much more precise
fashion than was possible using traditional plant breeding. Building upon the
work of Montagu and Schell, Chilton and her colleagues made a breakthrough
discovery that led to the potential of gene-transfer into higher plants.

Dr. Robert Fraley

Hired by Monsanto in 1981 as a research specialist, Fraley led a plant molecular
biology group that worked on developing better crops through genetic
engineeringto give farmers real solutions to critical problems such as pest and
weed infestations. His early research built upon the discoveries of Chilton and
Montagu as he focused on inventing effective methods for gene transfer
systems.
With his team of researchers, Fraley developed more elaborate plant
transformations, which led to the widespread accessibility of genetically modified
seeds with resistance to insects and herbicides, and with tolerance to changes in
climate such as excessive heat and drought.
Fraley has played a key role in Monsantos research directions that have led to a
range of new products, and the technical and business strategy that ensured
wide availability and benefit to farmers both large and small around the world.

John Baxter, MD
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Baxter and colleagues at UCSF were the first to clone the key genes involved
in the production of human and bovine growth hormone. Genentech Inc. went
on to develop a synthetic form of human growth hormone as a drug used by
children and adults with hormone-related growth deficiency. The cloning of
the cow gene allowed Monsanto Co. to develop synthetic bovine growth
hormone, used around the world to boost milk production.

Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen

Drs. Boyer and Cohen laid the cornerstone for modern biological and medical
science by inventing a method of cloning genetically engineered molecules in
foreign cells. Their discovery paved the way for the mass production of hormones
and other chemicals once only made by the human body, and established the
multibillion dollar biotechnology industry.

ROBERT C. GALLO Robert C.

Robert C. Gallo spent 30 years at the National Cancer Institute of the National
Institutes of Health. For over 20 years he was Chief of the Laboratory of Tumor
Cell Biology. In 1996 Gallo co-founded and is the director of the Institute of
Human Virology (IHV), at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. He is also a
professor of Medicine and of Microbiology in the universitys School of Medicine.
Gallo and his colleagues discovered the cytokine interleukin-2 (Il-2), the first
human retroviruses namely the leukemia viruses HTLV-1 and 2, human
herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), and codiscovered the third retrovirus, HIV, developed the
HIV blood test, and showed HIV was the cause of AIDS. Gallos motivation stems
from his interest in cancer and new epidemic diseases as well as the
fundamentals of disease mechanisms.

RENE BERNARDS
Rene Bernards has worked for 25 years in oncology research, most recently
developing functional genetic approaches to aid cancer treatment. His work at
Utrecht University focuses on the creation of genome-wide genetic screens for
the identification of genes that act in cancer-relevant pathways. It led to the
discovery in 2003 of a 70-gene fingerprint that may predict the recurrence of
breast cancer in certain patients, improving the accuracy with which doctors can
predict how a patients cancer will progress. Bernards is the head of the Division
of Molecular Carcinogenesis at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and CSO of
Agendia.

SIR DAVID LANE

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Sir David Lane is the Director of the Cancer Research UK Transformation

Research Group at the University of Dundee, where he leads a research team
studying human tumour suppressor gene function. Sir David is also the Founder
and CSO of Cyclacel, a Dundee-based biotechnology company developing novel
drugs for the treatment of cancer. Sir David is internationally recognised for his
original discovery of the p53 protein SV40 T antigen complex and for his many
subsequent contributions to the field and was knighted for his contribution to
cancer research in January 2000. He is co-author with Ed Harlow of the most
successful practical guide to the use of immunochemical methods: The
Antibodies manual has sold over 40,000 copies.
4. What is the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
Prokaryotic cells are cells without a nucleus. The DNA in prokaryotic cells is in the
cytoplasm rather than enclosed within a nuclear membrane. Prokaryotic cells are found
in single-celled organisms, such as bacteria. Organisms with prokaryotic cells are
called prokaryotes. They were the first type of organisms to evolve and are still the
most common organisms today.

Eukaryotic cells are cells that contain a nucleus. Eukaryotic cells are usually larger
than prokaryotic cells, and they are found mainly in multicellular organisms. Organisms
with eukaryotic cells are called eukaryotes, and they range from fungi to people.
Eukaryotic cells also contain other organelles besides the nucleus. An organelle is a
structure within the cytoplasm that performs a specific job in the cell. Organelles called
mitochondria, for example, provide energy to the cell, and organelles called vacuoles
store substances in the cell. Organelles allow eukaryotic cells to carry out more
functions than prokaryotic cells can. This allows eukaryotic cells to have greater cell
specificity than prokaryotic cells. Ribosomes, the organelle where proteins are made,
are the only organelles in prokaryotic cells.