1. Normal tomatoes grown commercially cannot be
allowed to ripen on the vine because they soften
during the ripening process. Picking them while
they are still hard allows them to be shipped, but it
also prevents the development of natural flavors.
In the 1980's, a genetically­engineered tomato
named FLAVR SAVR tomato was introduced. This
research aims to create a new type of tomato that
would not soften while ripening and could,
therefore, be left on the vine until it ripened
naturally.

2. A SURVEY OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY
AND GENTICS
Ma. Veah Luisa O. Pascasio

3. OUTLINE
• Background
• General Mechanism
• Developments
• Disorders and Therapy
• Benefits and Risks

4. BACKGROUND
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

5. WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?
• The term used to describe practical
uses of living organism.
• Artificial manipulation and transfer of
genetic material from one organism to
another.
• Because of the number of transfer
possibilities, genetic combination not
found in nature often occur.
• Wide range of different techniques.

6. BACKGROUND
DEFINITION OF TERMS

7. DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Central Dogma ­ “Information
enshrined in the genetic code, flows
from the gene to the world.”
­ by Francis Crick
­ “one gene, one protein”
• Genotype ­ genetic make­up
• Phenotype – physical attributes
• Gene – unit of inheritance
­ piece of DNA

8. DEFINITION OF TERMS
• DNA ­ Deoxyribonucleic acid made up
of long sub­units called nucleotides.
– Made up of nitrogenous bases:
Adenine (A), Guanine (G),
Thymine (T), Cytosine (C)
• mRNA – messenger Ribonucleic acid;
from which DNA is converted and
responsible for protein synthesis.

9. DEFINITION OF TERMS
T
G A
T C
C A
A G
G
A
T
C

10. CENTRAL DOGMA
MECHANISM

DNA Replication

Single stranded DNA is copied

Transcription

Copied DNA is transcribed to RNA

RNA Translation

RNA is translated to amino acids

Protein Synthesis

11. MECHANISM IN
BIOTECHNOLOGY

Gene to be altered is removed from DNA

Gene is modified

Gene is inserted into plasmids of a vector
usually a bacterium or virus

Vector is inserted back into organism

12. DEVELOPMENTS
• Insulin
– was read from human gene by
protein­making apparatus of
bacterium.
– GENENTECH

13. DEVELOPMENTS
• Cytokines
– Messengers that regulate immune
system
– Cloned, produced and tested
– CHIRON
– Cytokin beta interferon, treatment
for multiple sclerosis

14. DEVELOPMENTS
• Through the rapid development of
sepsis, human growth hormone and
enzyme which cut through the the
mucus that clogs the airways of
people with cystic gibrosis were
produced by Genentech.
• Small­molecule biotechnological
techniques were adapted by
companies such as Vertex.

15. DEVELOPMENTS
THE CD40 TEAM

16. The CD40 Team
The CD40 is the surface of the B cells
that produces immune system's
antibodies when touched by a
molecule on a T cell.
Alejandro Aruffo rewrote the gene,
spliced the description of the business
end of the protein on to the genes
that describe antibodies to create
free­floating molecules that stuck to
the same things as CD40.

17. The CD40 Team
• During protein synthesis, Aruffo
provided a library for the cell.
• All the mRNA in a cell can be copied
back into DNA providing a record of
the protein.
• A library of the genes being used by
activated T­cells contains the genetic
seeds for all the flowers on the cell's
surface.

18. The CD40 Team
• Aruffo produced millions of copies of
the gene spreading the genetic seeds
across a number of cells. From this,
proteins will be produced.
• Through computer analysis, the type of
protein will be determined.
• Aruffo determined the protein gp­39
commonly called tumour necrosis
factor
/media/PASCASIO/sts/Genetic engineering.flv

19. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Monoclonal Antibodies ­ because they
all come from identical B­cell, they all
recognise exactly the same
molecules.

20. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• NeoRx ­ formulated an anti­cancer
therapy, wherein the patient is given
antibodies that recognize cancer cells.
These antibodies coat the tumor.
After the tumor is enveloped, a small
highly radioactive molecule is injected
into the body. This molecule sticks to
the coated tumors and kills them. It is
small, so that it could be easily flushed
out of the body.

21. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Hurler's disease ­ a genetic defect that
may lead its sufferer from deformity to
early death. This defect is a result of a
lack of the gene for a particular
enzyme.

23. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Dr. Jean Michael Heard works on the
Hurler’s disease; his plan is to take cells
from the skin of an infected child and
to infect them w/ a virus carrying the
gene. The invigorated cells shall be
embedded in a ball of collagen and
GoreTex and be immobilized; they
shall be implanted in the child’s cavity
again to secrete the enzyme.

24. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Cystic Fibrosis ­ a common genetic
disorder among white people; the
protein missing in CF is the one that
regulates the passage of chlorine in
and out of the cell. It's absence affects
every cell in the body.
• The remedy would involve putting a
new gene into every cell.

26. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• ADA Deficiency ­ the only genetic
disorder successfully treated w/ a
gene, as of the time of writing. In
treating this disease, the infected cells
are taken out of the body, and then
put back. French Anderson pioneered
this kind of treatment.

27. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Cancer ­ a disease of the genes,
wherein genes that regulate the
growth and division of cells
malfunction.

28. DISORDERS AND THERAPY
• Suicide genes – most widely discussed and
attempted treatment to cancer. Vectors take
them into the cells, and when triggered, kill the
cells they sit in. More often, cells die in a messy
way, such that other neighbor cells die with
them.
• Tumor­suppressor genes – stops the tumor genes
from doing their work
• Antisense messages – artificial genetic
messages that are anti­genes of the tumor­
causing genes

29. BENEFITS
• An answer to world hunger
• A way to improve the environment
• A way to provide a higher­quality
product
• Vaccines and Antibiotics

30. RISKS
• Production of new toxin
• Damage to the ecosystem
• Allergic Reactions

31. Reference:

A Survey of Biotechnology and Genetics By Oliver Morton
Video Links:

Youtube.com/Structure of DNA and RNA - Advanced
Biotechnology Podcast 1.3.html

Youtube.com/What is biotechnology_.html

Youtube.com/The Biotechnology Age.html