What is Biotechnology the controlled and deliberate manipulation

What is Biotechnology? • the controlled and deliberate manipulation of living things (whether living cells or cell components) for the efficient manufacture or processing of useful products. – Causes changes in an organism • Examples of genetic biotechnology: – Selective Breeding – Cloning – Genetic Engineering • Gene Therapy

Selective Breeding • The selection of certain seeds or intentional mating of animals for reproduction in order to produce offspring with specific traits and to influence the traits inherited by the next generation. – Two types: • Purebred • Hybrid

Selective Breeding: purebred • Pure breeding – Crossing two individuals that have identical or similar sets of alleles. • Example: breeding only fast horses, breeding only yellow Labradors – Con – decreases genetic variety; therefore makes it harder to adapt, resist diseases, and higher chance of genetic disorders

Selective Breeding: hybrid • Hybridization – Crossing two genetically different individuals. The hybrid organism is bred to have the best traits from both parents. • Example: Labradoodles, corn produces lots of kernels with one resistant to disease – Con – doesn’t always turn out the planned way & is time consuming

Selective Breeding Examples: • The liger is the result of breeding a female tiger to a male lion. • The liger has both stripes and spots. The stripes are inherited from its tiger parent and the spots from the lion parent. • On their hind legs, ligers stand approximately 12 feet tall. At most, ligers may weigh up to 1, 000 pounds.

The cama is the result of breeding a Llama to a Camel. Parents in background of picture.

The zebroid is the result of breeding a female horse and a male zebra. The zedonk / zonkey is the result of breeding a female donkey and male zebra.

A geep is the result of a sheep and a goat.

Cloning • Clones are organisms that are exact genetic copies. Every single bit of their DNA is identical. • Clones can happen naturally, such as identical twins, or they can be made in the lab.

Genetic Engineering • changes the genetic material of a living organism by removing genes from one organism then transferring them into the DNA of another organism. (also known as gene splicing) • Uses: – make medication and treat diseases – cure human genetic disorders – improve crops • Bacteria were the first success with genetic engineering because they are one celled and not as complex. • Scientists use genetic engineering to create bacterial cells that produce important human proteins such as insulin.

Pest-infected non-GM (left) and pest-free GM plant (right) planted side-by-side in a field trial.

French genetic researchers created Alba. Thanks to genes borrowed from a jellyfish, the albino rabbit glows green when placed under special lighting. In regular light, Alba appears like any other furry white rabbit. But place her under a black light, and her eyes, whiskers and fur glow green.

Scientists in the agriculture department of the Hebrew University in Rehovot have genetically engineered a chicken that has no feathers. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=QYH 2 u. Q 0 xt 5 Q

Gene Therapy • an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease by inserting working copies of a gene directly into the cells of a person with a genetic disorder. • Researchers are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including: – Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene. – Inactivating, or “knocking out, ” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly. – Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease. • Several studies have already shown that this approach can have very serious health risks, such as toxicity, inflammation, and cancer.

Gene Therapy Examples: • People with CF don’t produce the protein to control mucus production. Both genes are defected (recessive). Scientist insert working copies of a gene into harmless viruses. The engineered viruses can be sprayed into the lungs of the patients. • Gene therapy works in hemophilia by using DNA as the drug and viruses as the deliverer. A virus containing the gene that produces Factor VIII or Factor IV is injected into a large group of cells in the patient. The hope of the gene therapy is to have the cell produce more of the cured cells and spread throughout the rest of the body.