BIOTECHNOLOGY: The Key To Ecuador’s

Development

By Adriana Cabrera

12th Grade Physics-Mathematics

2012-2013

WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

Biotechnology is the fusion of Biology and Technology The application of Biotechnological techniques to fusion research and development

Biotechnology’s application in Ecuador is essential:

1. Advacement of medicine in testing and in treatment

2. Growth of agriculture guarantees food security

3. Progress of the pharmaceutical field improves human health

4. Improvement of the productivity of animals while reducing

the enviromental impact from the livestock sector

Medicine: In testing

Medicine: In treatment

Has developed several therapies which can treat inherited human

diseases involving defective genes and fight agains incurable

diseases.

Therapies:

Gene Therapy

Enzyme Replacement Therapy

Stem cells therapy

Agriculture: Genetically modified products

Main characteristics:

1. Pink banana (very exotic)

2. Very tasty 3. Presence of

seeds in its fruit

4. Small size banana

Musa velutina (pink banana)

Example:

This pink banana can be genetically modified with Biotechnology

These seeds can be

eliminated=

Its size can be increased like the size of the

common yellow banana

At the same time, improving its:nutritional quality Resistance to plant pests like: bacteria, virus, fungi, nematodes and other pathogens

Agriculture: Massive production

Benefits: It needs only small explants

to produce large quantities of material in relatively short time

Possibily of multiplication during all the year

Low space requirements Obtaining pathogen- free

plants

Biotechnology Pharmaceutical Field:

Biotechnology Pharmaceutical Field: Biotech drugs can help or cure human diseases.

Moreover, a Biotech company is developing a less toxic

chemotherapy drugs. It uses synthetic biology to come up

with new DNA based drugs trigger cells to produce powerfull

cancer killing chemicals.

Biotechnology Pharmaceutical Field: Biotechnology chemical reactive can be used for fast diagnosis of important human diseases.

Pharyngitis and Rheumatic Heart Disease Diagnosis:

• The conventional methods are expensive, time consuming and

suffer one or more limitations.

But with today’s PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) it takes only

80 minutes to complete overall analysis using mga genes as a

specific genetic marker.

Animal Biotechnology: increase growth rate

Techniques:

Artificial Insimination (AI)

Embryo Transfer (ET)

Annually more than:

100 million AI are performed in cattle

40 million in pigs

3.3 million in sheep

0.5 million in goats

Animal Biotechnology: Enhance Nutrition and Public Health

Poultry and Livestock resistant to organims:

E. coli

Streptococcus

Clostridium

Campylobacter

Diseases:

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or also known as “mad cow”

Animal Biotechnology: Reduce environmental impact from the livestock sector

For these reasons:

•The government should encourage the creation of laboratories in our country•Ecuadorian universities should provide this career as a synonym of development

Instead of promoting the same traditional careers:

1. Law2. Business Administration3. Education4. Medicine5. Journalism

BIOTECHNOLOGY IS AND WILL BE

ECUADOR’S DEVELOPMENT