Biotechnology is concerned with the techniques of using living organisms or enzymes from living organisms to produce products and processes that are beneficial to humans and other animals. In this sense, the production of curd, bread, and wine, all of which are microbe-mediated processes, could be considered a form of biotechnology. In today’s world, however, it is used in a more restricted sense to refer to those processes that employ genetically modified organisms to achieve the same results on a larger scale. Furthermore, biotechnology encompasses a wide range of other processes and techniques as well. Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of activities such as in vitro fertilisation, which results in the creation of a ‘test-tube’ baby, the creation and use of genes, the development of a DNA vaccine, and the correction of defective genes.
Biotechnology is defined by the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) in a way that takes into account both traditional views and modern molecular biotechnology.
The following is the definition provided by the EFB:
Integration of natural science and organisms, cells and parts of organisms, and molecular analogues for the development of products and services.
PRINCIPLES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
The two most important techniques that enabled the birth were among many others
- Genetic engineering:
- Bioprocess engineering:
Biotechnology, also known as biotechnological engineering, is a branch of biology that deals with the application of technology to biological processes occurring in living entities or their subordinates to transform a specific process for their specific utilisation.
It is also one of the earliest industrial technologies that have ever been documented in history. For example, one of the biotechnological techniques is the use of fermentation in the production of alcohol, which is one of the techniques. The field has grown and expanded in recent years, with applications extending across various major fields such as agriculture, genetic engineering and medicine. It has also grown and expanded into genomics, applied immunology, recombinant gene methodologies and pharmaceuticals, among other areas. It is also widely used in bioinformatics for exploration in the field of research and development and the production and extraction of living entities through biochemical engineering, among other applications.
Principles of Biotechnology and Tools of Recombinant DNA Technology:
- Using microorganisms, plants, animal cells or their components to create products and processes that are beneficial to humans is what biotechnology is all about.
- The concept of the following techniques serves as the foundation for the principles of biotechnology:
- Genetic engineering is a technique for altering the chemistry of genetic material (DNA/RNA), introducing it into other organisms, and altering the phenotype of the host organism as a result.
- For the production of biotechnological products such as antibiotics, vaccines, and enzymes, it is necessary to ensure adequate maintenance of sterile conditions to support the growth of only the desired bacteria/eukaryotic cells in large quantities.
- Genetic engineering techniques include the following types of procedures:
- The process of combining desired genes to produce recombinant DNA.
- The transfer of genes.
- Preservation of DNA in the host and cloning of genes
The fundamental steps in genetic engineering can be summarised as follows.
- DNA with desirable genes is identified through genetic analysis.
- Incorporation of the identified DNA into a host.
- Development of the first artificial recombinant DNA (ARDNA).
It was accomplished through the integration of an antibiotic resistance gene into a Salmonella typhimurium native plasmid (a circular extrachromosomal DNA plasmid capable of self-replication). In 1972, Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer were successful in achieving this goal. They isolated the antibiotic resistance gene by cutting a piece of DNA from a plasmid and inserting it into the plasmid. To cut DNA at specific locations, molecular scissors (i.e. restriction enzymes) were used to cut the DNA at those specific locations.
The DNA ligase enzyme was used to join the cut piece of DNA to the plasmid DNA. This was the final step. The plasmid DNA serves as a vector for transferring the piece of DNA that has been attached to it to other cells. If this DNA is transferred into E. coli, it has the potential to replicate using the DNA polymerase enzyme of the new host and produce multiple copies. Cloning of antibiotic resistance genes in E. coli is the term used to describe the ability of E. coli to produce multiple copies of antibiotic resistance genes.
Conclusion:
The field has grown and expanded in recent years, with applications extending across various major fields such as agriculture, genetic engineering and medicine. It has also grown and expanded into genomics, applied immunology, recombinant gene methodologies and pharmaceuticals, among other areas. It is also widely used in bioinformatics for exploration in the field of research and development and the production and extraction of living entities through biochemical engineering, among other applications.