Biotechnology deals with techniques of using live organisms or enzymes from organisms to produce products and processes useful to humans.
Applications of Biotechnology
Biotechnology has application in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non-food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e.g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil, biofuels), and environmental uses.
Techniques used in Biotechnology
Genetic Engineering: The utilization of genetic machinery of life for production of any special substance is called genetic engineering. The genetic modification of micro-organisms is brought about by simple recombination or by complex genetic manipulations. Some of the techniques are: isolation of genes, synthesis of genes, recombinant DNA, gene cloning, etc.
Cell Culture or Tissue Culture: Tissue culture is the technology of artificially growing microorganisms or cells or tissue or organs to the desired genetic purity such as high yield and disease resistance. The microbes in culture are used in recombinant DNA technology and in a variety of industrial processes and plant cells, tissues are used in a variety of genetic manipulations. For example, haploid breeding and somatic cultures are being used for production of artificial seeds. Embryo culture technique has also helped extending the range of distant hybridization for plant breeding purposes.
Microbial Technology: Under this, micro-organisms have been harnessed by man for the production of useful materials such as development of microbial enzymes active in extreme temperatures, novel antibiotics, bioactive proteins and other bio-molecules for industrial use.
DNA Fingerprinting: This is an important aspect of biotechnology first developed by Alec Jeffreys in 1985-86 in U.K. It is a technique by which an individual can be identified at molecular level. DNA is the basic genetic material that carries a blue print for our life, but, varies significantly from one person to another. What DNA fingerprinting does is to look inside, regions of DNA that show a great deal of variations from one person to another.
Monoclonal Antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that are produced by one type of immune cell. This is produced when a foreign substance is injected into a vertebrate such as a mouse or human, some of the immune systems B-Cells turns into plasma cells and start to produce antibodies that bind to that antigen. But each B-cell produces only one kind of antibody. The monoclonal antibodies are widely used as diagnostic and research reagents and are currently being utilized in many diagnostic procedures including measuring protein level and drug level in serum, identifying infectious agents, identifying tumour antigens and auto-antibodies.
