Biotechnology in Agriculture

Interest Approach • Would you ever think to infect a human with a virus in an

effort to attack another disease?

• Video

Objective 3.02• Understand biotechnology in the plant industry.

Biotechnology Basics

• Biotechnology is the use of living organisms (microorganisms) to make new products or carry out new processes (solve problems). • New product – Yogurt• New Process –Tissue culture

• propagation method that rapidly multiplies plants

Historic Applications of Biotechnology

• Yeast to make bread rise• Bacteria to produce cheeses and other dairy products• Microorganisms to transform fruit or grains into

alcoholic beverages• Use of bacteria to “produce” silage• E.coli bacteria used to produce insulin• It became one of the first commercial products created by

genetic engineering

Basic Genetics

• The science of heredity• Gregor Johann Mendel

• discovered the effect of genetics on plant characteristics with his experimentation with garden peas

• Heredity• transmission of characteristics from an organism to its offspring

through genes in reproductive cells

• Genes• determine the individual characteristics of living things• segments of double stranded DNA

• Generation• the offspring, or progeny, of common parents

Pea Plants

HeredityWhat caused the passing of traits to offspring?

Basic Genetics

• DNA –Genetic Code of Life• Chromosome

• a structure that holds the genetic information of a cell

• DNA is wound tightly to form the chromosome

• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) • coded material in all cell nuclei• determines what that cell and

its successive cells will become• structure is that of a twisted

ladder• double helix

Basic Genetics• Gene• small section of DNA• thousands of genes on a strand of DNA

• Gene mapping• process of both finding and recording the locations of genes

Basic Genetics

• Bases • Like rungs of a ladder that hold the two sides of the DNA strands

together.• The bases are:

• Adenine (A) - only pairs with “T”• Thymine (T) – only pairs with “A”• Guanine (G) – only pairs with “C”• Cytosine (C) – only pairs with “G”

• Example:• A – T• G – C• T - A

• The sequence of the bases between the DNA strands is the code by which a gene controls a specific trait• Baldness in humans• The color of flowers on a plant

Processes and Practices in biotechnology• Genetic engineering• developed in the early 1980’s• process of moving genetic information in the form of genes from

one cell to another• Gene splicing or Recombinant DNA technology• process of removing and inserting genes from one organism and inserting

them into the DNA of another

• Some examples are:• Alter a plant’s susceptibility to disease• Make a plant resistant to insects

• Process in animals is newer and not as well developed

Processes and Practices in biotechnology

• Cloning (micropropagation in plants) • creating an exact genetic duplicate of another organism

• Indicator species • one of the oldest methods of biological detection.

• uses plants, animals and microbes to warn us about pollutants in the environment

Processes and Practices in biotechnology

• Bioremediation • use living organisms to clean up toxic wastes in water and soil

Processes and Practices in Biotechnology

• Biostimulation• Adding nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to stimulate

the growth of naturally occurring beneficial microbes• faster more efficient work

Processes and Practices in biotechnology

• Phytoremediation• plant absorbs or immobilizing pollutants• First tested in the 1990’s

Processes and Practices in Biotechnology

• Animal Reproduction and Production • improving the efficiency of

reproduction and production involve the use of biotechnology• These are considered the

more conventional uses of biotechnology

• Biofuels• Fuels composed of or

produced from biological raw materials

Importance of Recombinant DNA Technology

• Improve plants’ and animals’ performance• The manipulation of genes

• Alter characteristics or performance of microorganisms• Controlling disease,

insects, weeds, and other pests• Less use of chemical

pesticides• Potential for helping clean

the environment

Concerns with the use of Biotechnology

• Safety • State and federal government monitor• Consumer resistance to new biotech food products

remains high • safety of the environment• human health concerns

• Rapidly changing field, which when not fully understood• can create a fear of the unknown

• Labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) foods • many people feel if a product is safe it should be labeled• Concern has been expressed over the effect GMO’s may have

on biodiversity

Concerns with the use of Biotechnology

• Ethics• system of moral principles

• defines what is right and wrong in a society

• raises important ethical questions about how biotechnology should be used

Scientific Method used in Biotechnology/Agriscience

• Steps of the scientific method:1. Identify the problem2. Review literature3. Form a hypothesis4. Prepare a project proposal5. Design the experiment6. Collect the data7. Draw conclusions8. Prepare a written report

Biotechnology in the plant science industry• Herbicide and insect resistant crops• Examples:• Herbicide tolerant soybean (Round-Up Ready Soybeans)

• contains a gene that provides resistance to broad spectrum herbicides

• Others being developed

• Insect- resistant corn (Bt corn)• contains a built-in insecticidal protein• from a naturally occurring soil microorganism• Bacillus thuringiensis

• gives season- long control of corn borers

Biotechnology in the plant science industry

• Crops with better nutrition and longer shelf life are products of genetic engineering• High Oleic Peanut

• genetically modified to produce nuts in high oleic acid• longer life for nuts, candy and peanut butter

• High Oleic Sunflower• sunflower oil that is low in trans-fatty acids

• Delayed- ripening tomato • longer shelf life • commercial advantages in harvesting and shipping

Biotechnology in the plant science industry• Tissue culture • Micropropagation• use of a very small actively growing parts of the plant• produces a large number of new plants

• African violets• Venus Fly Traps

Objective 4.02• Understand biotechnology in the animal industry.

Biotechnology in the Animal Science Industry • Animal cloning • For product uniformity

• drumstick uniformity in the poultry industry

• Saving endangered species• New animals could be reproduced from the tissue of remaining

animals

• Research purposes• Genetically identical animals are better for research studies that try

to isolate one variable

Biotechnology in the Animal Science Industry • Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction and Production• BST (Bovine somatotropin)

• A hormone produced in the pituitary gland of cattle • increases milk production

• Method of gene splicing genetic material into E. coli bacteria• Produced at relatively low cost

• Dairy cows given BST will produce more milk

Biotechnology in the Animal Science Industry

• Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction and Production• Artificial Insemination (AI)

• Process involves the introduction of the male sperm into the reproductive tract of a female

• By means other than the natural mating process• Most of the cows in the dairy industry are produced through AI

Biotechnology in the Animal Science Industry

• Biotechnology in Animal Reproduction and Production– Embryo Transfer

– Transferring of embryos from one female to another– One female can produce many calves in a year due to

superovulation • donor animal to release several eggs instead of just one

– A superior female can be fertilized by genetics from a superior male • resulting embryos implanted into inferior female animals

Embryo Transfer Process

Examples of tools for use in Animal Science

• Insemination rods and straws• used in artificial insemination to insert semen into

female

Examples of tools for use in Animal Science

• Microscope• used to examine sperm for artificial insemination

Examples of tools for use in Animal Science

• Liquid nitrogen tank• used to store semen

Objective 5.02• Understand biotechnology in the environmental science

industry.

Environmental Biotechnology

• Biotechnology is playing a large part in detecting and monitoring pollution and determining how much is present

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Indicator species• Lichens are widely used as environmental indicators or bio-

indicators• If air is very badly polluted with sulfur dioxide, there may be no

lichens present, just green algae may be found

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Bioremediation • Bacteria is used to clean up oil and fuel spills

• Oleophilic (attracted to oil) bacteria used to clean up oil spills• Hanahan, SC, a suburb of Charleston, had an 80,000 gallon jet fuel

leak from a military fuel storage facility• fuel entered the ground and the groundwater• Bacteria were successfully used to remediate this problem

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Biostimulation• The Exxon Valdez clean-up

• Used the addition of nutrients• Feed the oleophilic bacteria

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Biodiesel• made from oilseeds

• Soybean• canola oil

• proven to decrease harmful emissions

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Phytoremediation • Oregon Poplar Site (illegal industrial waste dumping site)• J-Field at Aberdeen Proving Ground( disposal site of chemical

warfare agents, munitions and industrial chemicals)• used hybrid poplar trees• remove VOC’s• volatile organic compounds from contaminated soil

Environmental Biotechnology Examples

• Genetic engineering• bacterial strains are under development to convert solid waste

from humans and livestock into sugar and fuel

Limitations of using bio and phytoremediation

• Time• often considered slower than chemical techniques

• Applicability• they do not apply to all situations

• Fear• those who live near treatment sites often would rather have the

contaminated soil removed than treated• Fear that the process will not uncontaminate the soil

Essay Writing• If you were a scientist, what world disease or problem would

you be interested in researching and working to find a cure? How do you think biotechnology could help you in your research?

• Requirements:• 2-3 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman Font• Conduct research online and develop your essay.

Lab • Purpose: To extract DNA from various fruit• Materials• Digital Scale• NaCl• 100 mL Dish Detergent• 1000 mL beaker• Weigh boat• 900 mL water• Fruit (strawberry or ½ banana)• Test Tube• Inoculating Loop• 25 mL or 50 mL beaker• Lab Scoop• Dixie Cup

Procedures• Extraction Solution• Measure 900 mL water• Mix 5g of NaCl (salt)• 100 mL of dish detergent

• In a ziploc bag, mash strawberry for 2 minutes• Add 10 mL of extraction buffer solution and mash for 1 minute• Filter solution into Dixie Cup using coffee filter• Pour filtered solution into test tube (about 1” high)• Pour ice cold isopropyl alcohol into test tube (til half full)• Use inoculating loop to spool DNA

Conclusion• Your thoughts on the lab!

DNA: Secret of Life Video Quiz1. What makes up DNA? (backbone and the rungs of ladder)2. Who discovered DNA? (Two male scientists)3. DNA is the instruction for the building blocks of what?

(insulin is an example of this)4. What genetic disease did Patrice suffer from? 5. What “project” was completed to map a human’s DNA?6. Write in complete sentences something you have learned

from this unit and/or video