Introduction
Ronald P. Evens in Biotechnology, 2020
Biotechnology is the use of biological systems, that is, living systems, organisms, genetic engineering, and molecular engineering, to discover new disease pathology and targets, create a biological product to address the target and ameliorate the disease, and manufacture the molecules biologically in sufficient quantities to market a pharmaceutically useful product. They are called biotech products because of the molecule’s initial structural and mechanistic similarity to naturally occurring biological substances in the human body, as well as the biotechnology technologies employed in their discovery and manufacture. In discovering, creating, and manufacturing a biotech product, biotechnology faces a daunting set of challenges engaging an integrated composite of many biological and related sciences, that is, biochemistry, cell biology, embryology, engineering (seven possible types – biochemical, cellular, genetic, mechanical, molecular, process, and tissue), genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, pathology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, physiology, proteomics, and toxicology.
Genetics as a Tool to Understand Structure and Function
Peter M. Gresshoff in Molecular Biology of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation, 2018
When the band containing the desired DNA fragments has been identified, it needs to be inserted into a new replicon, such as a bacterial plasmid. The DNA circles of a suitable plasmid are opened with a restriction enzyme which cuts in one place only, and then closed again by ligase after inserting the DNA fragments to be cloned. These hybrid plasmids (and hence the term "recombinant DNA") are then introduced into bacteria such as E. coli in which they multiply with their host. Thus, large bacterial populations, each carrying one or more hybrid plasmids, can be grown. If the foreign gene in the plasmid encodes a valuable product, such as a human hormone, for example, the bacteria will synthesize and excrete it, provided that the genetic regulatory sequences that promote its transcription were included in the clone and that the bacterial translational system (e.g., tRNAs) is suitable. This valuable aspect of genetic engineering has recently become widely commercialized and forms the basis of modern biotechnology.
Phytonanotechnology
Namrita Lall in Medicinal Plants for Cosmetics, Health and Diseases, 2022
Follow-up studies have uncovered side effects related to the use of synthetic compounds, which have contributed to the wide acceptance of natural product as an alternative, thereby increasing its market value. In addition to their use in medicine, plant-based natural products are used as spices, essential oils, flavors, fragrance, dietary supplements, food and beverages, cosmetics and other personal care products. This has led to a huge rise in the market value of plant-based products. In addition, plant biotechnology is focused on drastically improving the yield and quality of these natural products for human purposes. Using the modern tools of genetic engineering, researchers are developing plant-based drugs or other active plant ingredients that are cost effective, easier to use and even more effective than their existing counterparts (Qiu et al., 2013).
Patenting Foundational Technologies: Lessons From CRISPR and Other Core Biotechnologies
Published in The American Journal of Bioethics, 2018
Oliver Feeney, Julian Cockbain, Michael Morrison, Lisa Diependaele, Kristof Van Assche, Sigrid Sterckx
Application of biotechnology in health care, agriculture, and manufacturing is increasingly seen as a key driver of global productivity and economic growth (European Commission 2012; OECD 2009). Biotechnology already accounts for a number of leading pharmaceutical (Philippidis 2017) and food (USDA 2017) products, and the focus of policy and resource allocation on the “bio-economy” is only set to increase. Much of the explosion in the use of biotechnology in food and medicines has been facilitated by a small number of groundbreaking, “foundational” developments, such as the ability to grow living cells and tissues outside the body, to establish the sequence of genetic material, to produce recombinant DNA (rDNA), and to multiply DNA sequences using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). (While rDNA is sometimes used to refer to DNA coding for ribosomal RNA, it is used here to refer only to recombinant DNA.)
Assessment of lead tolerance in gamma exposed Aspergillus niger van Tieghem & Penicillium cyclopium Westling
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2019
Dipanwita Das, Anindita Chakraborty, Subhas C. Santra
Research and development in biotechnology has been increasingly adding benefits in all fields relevant to the needs of mankind. It is being established that microbial strain improvement can possibly be done by inducing mutation using physical stress effectors. Exposure to ionizing radiation is one such physical stress effectors known to be used for strain improvement of microbes. In contrast to the gamma induced microbial growth control at higher doses, low dose of irradiation causes stimulatory effect in fungi. Cordeiro et al. (1995) reported that exposure to gamma showed maximum potential to induce mutation in fungi (Metarhizium anisopliae) than that of ultra violet (UV) or other chemical mutagens. It may be conjectured from earlier reports that gamma irradiation is an effective mutagenic agent for fungi (Mutwakil 2011). Low experimental doses of gamma radiation (Gray; Gy) (5–100Gy) was observed to further spore germination of Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum (Geweely and Nawar 2006). Fawzi and Hamdy (2011) observed different doses of gamma irradiation could induce enhanced production of Carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) in Chaetomium cellulolyticum. Higher production of cellulases (CMCase, Avicelase) by gamma irradiated (0.5 K Gy) Aspergillus sp than that of their parental non-irradiated counterparts was reported by Abo-State et al. (2010).
Novel formulations of metal-organic frameworks for controlled drug delivery
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2022
Congying Rao, Donghui Liao, Ying Pan, Yuyu Zhong, Wenfeng Zhang, Qin Ouyang, Alireza Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh, Jianqiang Liu
Both protein’s surface charge and chemical properties decide whether itself could be encapsulated into MOFs or not [102]. Up to date, the numbers of research on studies of encapsulating proteins into MOFs and summaries of the encapsulation strategies remain small. Chen et al. first reported a general surface-charge-independent approach (amino acid enhanced a pot buried (AAOPE)) for producing MOF-encapsulated proteins (Figure 6) [103]. The accelerated formation of prenucleation clusters around proteins is the critical success of the process. The successful encapsulation of 12 proteins, including enzymes, etc., with various surface chemical properties into ZIF-8 has been reported in later researches. The process is independent of the proteins’ surface charge. Further, a simple pH modification can easily reach the controllable release of encapsulant by this nondestructive process. These prove potent biotechnology applications of the process.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Cell Culture
- Fermentation
- Genetic Engineering
- Molecular Biology
- Tissue Culture
- Embryology
- Hybrid
- Genetics