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BIOTECHNOLOGY

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Introduction
• The word biotechnology has come from two words, bios (meaning
biology) and technology (meaning technological application).
• It is defined as the application of living organisms and their
biological processes in order to make best use of the
microorganisms for the benefit of mankind.

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Branches of Biotechnology
1. Green Biotechnology
• Applied to agricultural processes.
• Biotech is used to make plants pest and drought tolerant.
• BT Cotton is an example of bollworm tolerant plant. It is also a transgenic plant.
2. Red Biotechnology
• Concerned with medical sciences, development of innovative drugs and treatment.
• Application: Productions of vaccines and antibiotics, regenerative therapies, gene
therapy, stem cell therapy etc.
3. Blue Biotechnology
• Use of marine and freshwater organisms to create products and industrial
applications.
Branches of Biotechnology
4. White Biotechnology
• Applied to industrial processes.
• It also refers to the use of biotechnology in food production.
5. Gray Biotechnology
• Application of Biotechnology to environmental applications, maintenance of
biodiversity and removal of pollutants.
6. Brown Biotechnology
• Related to the management of Arid Zone and Deserts
• Creation of drought-resistant seeds, natural resources management, the creation
of agricultural techniques suited to arid landscape etc. are few examples of
Brown biotech.

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Branches of Biotechnology
7. Violet Biotechnology
• Related to law, ethical and philosophical issues around biotechnology
8. Dark Biotechnology
• Related to bioterrorism, biological weapons and biowarfare which use
microorganisms and toxins to cause diseases, death and disability.
Medical Applications of Biotechnology
1. Gene Therapy
• Gene therapy is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid into a patient's cells as a
drug to treat disease.
• Gene therapy is a technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.

How does gene therapy work?

Gene therapy is designed to introduce genetic material into cells to compensate for
abnormal genes or to make a beneficial protein. If a mutated gene causes a
necessary protein to be faulty or missing, gene therapy may be able to introduce
a normal copy of the gene to restore the function of the protein.
Medical Applications of Biotechnology
2. Genetic Testing
• Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes,
genes, or proteins.
• The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition
or help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic
disorder.

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Medical Applications of Biotechnology
3. Pharmacogenomics
• This field is a combination of genetics and pharmaceuticals.
• Pharmacogenomics analyses how a genetic makeup affects an
individual’s response to drugs.
• It deals with the influence of genetic variation of drug response in
patients by correlating gene expression with efficacy or toxicity of
drug.
Medical Applications of Biotechnology
4. Drug administration
• Biotechnology has contributed to the discovery of manufacturing of
Pharmaceutical drugs as well as drugs that are products of biotechnology, which
are called biopharmaceutics.
• Biopharmaceutics examines the interrelationships of the physical or chemical
properties of the drug, the dosage form and the manner of drug administration
on the rate and extent of drug absorption.
• Biotechnology has also helped in the field of pharmacokinetics. It is described
as what the body does to a drug, refers to the movement of drug into, through
and out of the body – the time course from its absorption to excretion.

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Medical Applications of Biotechnology
5. Virotherapy
• It is a medical treatment that uses biotechnology to convert viruses into
therapeutic agents.
• Viruses are genetically modified to treat diseases.

6. Recombinant Insulin
• Insulin is required by diabetic patients to remove excess sugar from the blood.
Diabetic patients have a very low level of insulin or no insulin produced by
the body. Therefore they need external insulin to control the blood glucose
levels.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
1. Transgenic Plants
• In a transgenic crop plant, one or more genes are artificially inserted instead of the plant
acquiring such genes through pollination while the inserted gene sequence or transgene may
come either from another unrelated plant or from a completely different species.
• Plants containing transgenes are often called genetically modified crops
• For instance, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cotton is a transgenic crop in which the Cry 1 AC gene
of Bt is introduced to make the crop pest-resistant.
• After the introduction of this gene, the Cotton crop starts producing its own pesticides.
• The BT trade has been believed to save the cotton plant from the pest, which is popularly known
as bollworm.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
Desirable genes may provide the following features:
1. Increased crop production:
• Transgenic plants have been developed to produce higher yields, or tolerant
diseases, droughts etc. Such crop attributes have facilitated increased crop
production.

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Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
2. Improved nutritional value
• Transgenic plants with higher nutritional value have been produced.
• For instance, Golden rice is a transgenic variety of rice with genes for synthesis
of Beta carotene taken from Daffodil plant and inserted into rice. The beta
carotene is converted into vitamin A.
• Thus, Golden rice helps in preventing nutritional blindness in people, which
occurs due to deficiency of Vitamin A, and is also responsible for the normal
functioning of the immune system.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
3. Increased shelf life
• Transgenic plants have been developed with longer shelf life, which makes
storage and transportation of producer easier.

4. Environmental benefits
• Transgenic varieties rely on reduced consumption of pesticides. Consequently,
there is less pesticide residue in foods, production of pesticides reaching into
ground water, and minimization of the farm workers exposure to hazardous
products.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
Comparison with traditional plant breeding
• Traditional plant breeding has been limited to artificially crossing plants with the
same species or with closely related species to bring different genes together
through selective or mutation breeding techniques.
• For example, a gene for protein in soya bean could not be transferred to a
completely different crop such as wheat using traditional techniques.
• Transgenic Technology enables plant breeders to bring the useful genes
together in one plant from a wide range of living sources.
• Thus, it extends the possibilities beyond the limitations proposed by traditional
cross-pollination and selection techniques.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
Development of Transgenic Plants
• Transgenic plants are obtained through Recombinant DNA technology or genetic
engineering.
• The Recombinant DNA technology is a technology through which a foreign gene
of unorganised organism is inserted into a host organism to produce the desired
qualities in the host organism.
• Such a foreign gene may be acquired from an organism which is unrelated to
the host organism.

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Step-1. Isolation of Genetic Material.
• The first and the initial step in Recombinant DNA technology is to isolate the desired DNA in its
pure form i.e. free from other macromolecules.
Step-2. Cutting the gene at the recognition sites.
• The restriction enzymes play a major role in determining the location at which the desired gene is
inserted into the vector genome. These reactions are called ‘restriction enzyme digestions’.
Step-3. Amplifying the gene copies through Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
• It is a process to amplify a single copy of DNA into thousands to millions of copies once the
proper gene of interest has been cut using the restriction enzymes.
Step-4. Ligation of DNA Molecules.
• In this step of Ligation, joining of the two pieces – a cut fragment of DNA and the vector together
with the help of the enzyme DNA ligase.
Step-5. Insertion of Recombinant DNA Into Host.
In this step, the recombinant DNA is introduced into a recipient host cell. This process is termed as
Transformation. Once after the insertion of the recombinant DNA into the host cell, it gets multiplied
and is expressed in the form of the manufactured protein under optimal conditions.
Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be
transferred
1. across different species of plants
2. from animals to plants
3. from microorganisms to higher organisms
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
2. Biofuels
• One of the biggest applications of biotechnology is in the energy production sector. With
fears over the dwindling oil resources in the world and their related environmental
impacts, there is a need to protect the globe’s future by finding
alternative environmentally friendly fuel sources.

• Biotechnology is allowing this to happen with advances such as using corn to produce
combustible fuel for running car engines. These fuels are good for the environment as
they do not produce the greenhouse gases.

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Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
3. Biofortification
• The development of micronutrient-dense staple crop varieties using the
best traditional breeding practices and modern biotechnology
Fortification - the addition of an ingredient to food to increase the
concentration of a particular element (Iodised salt, Vit. A and D in
margarine)
Supplementation - the addition of an element to the diet to make up for
an insufficiency (Vitamin capsules)
• Issue of ‘hidden hunger’
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
4. Genetically modified crops as animal feed: Genetically modified
crops, products derived from them and enzymes derived from genetically
modified micro-organisms are widely used in animal feeds.

5. Pest and Herbicide Resistant Cultivars: The common soil bacterium

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes have been inserted to build up a particular protein in
cotton crop.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
6. Genetically engineered Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops: A gene from the
soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is used in genetically engineered HT
crops. HT crops can reduce the production costs and help the weed
management.

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Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
7. Use of bio-fertilizer:

Crops need balance nutrient from soil for proper growth as phosphate and nitrogen are major
in utilization in metabolism.
Agricultural Applications of Biotechnology
8. Improvement in floriculture:
Floriculture is associated with flower cultivation industry, biotechnology is playing key
role in generation of new varieties as improve in color, scent, size and flower long
life through gene manipulation technique.
Q) Other than resistance to pests what are the prospects for which genetically
engineered plants have been created? (2011)
1. To enable them to withstand drought.
2. To increase the nutritive value of produce.
3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations.
4. To increase their shelf life.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below

a) 1and 2 only b) 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 4 only d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
White Biotechnology
• The use of biotechnology in industry is regarded as White biotechnology. It helps to improve
industrial processes and create new Industrial Products.
The use of white biotechnology are mentioned below:
• Biotechnology is used to develop microorganisms which can increase the rate of fermentation of
organic matter in order to convert it into alcohols, acids and Biomass.
• It is used to enhance oil recovery from its well. Genetically modified organisms by consuming dense
hydrocarbons can reduce the surface tension of the oil to a great extent and hence facilitate easy
recovery of oil.
• It is used to produce microorganisms which can act as preservatives for perishable products.
• It is used to produce biofuels which are renewable sources of energy
Biosorption
• It is a property of certain types of inactive, dead, microbial Biomass to bind and concentrate heavy
metals from even very dilute aqueous solution.

Biomining
• It is an approach for the extraction of desired minerals from host with the help of living organisms.
Biomining can be undertaken through microbes or plants.
• Microorganisms are used to leach out minerals, rather than the traditional method of extreme heat or
toxic chemicals, which have an adverse effect on the environment.
• Phytomining is an approach in which mining is done with the help of plants. For instance, some plants
absorb copper compounds through their roots. As a result, copper compounds remained concentrated
in their roots. The plant can be burnt to produce and ash that contains copper.
Blue Biotechnology
Blue biotechnology deals with aquatic environment along with the Marine organisms to
generate new sources of energy, develop new drugs, extract useful resources or develop
new varieties of marine organisms.
Uses of Blue Biotechnology
• Biotechnology can be used to develop microorganisms to clean water bodies, like oil spills.
• Oil zapper is a mixture of 5 types of bacteria which feed on hydrocarbon compounds
present in the crude oil. Oil zapper converts hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water.
• Biotechnology can create transgenic aquatic organisms with desirable features.

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Uses of Biotechnology in Environment
Bioremediation
• It refers to the cleaning of environment with the help of living organisms.
• Living organisms range from microorganisms to different species of plants. For example,
bacteria help in the decomposition of organic waste on certain plant species such as
mustard by helping in the absorption of poisonous elements such as Selenium.
• Bioremediation effectively discriminates between pollutants and the required nutrients.
Strategies of Bioremediation
1. In situ Bioremediation Techniques
2. Ex situ Bioremediation Techniques

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In situ Bioremediation Techniques
• It refers to the treatment of waste at its site.
• These techniques not only exist in the degradation of absorbed fuel, but
also assist in the degradation of volatile organic compounds.
• In situ bioremediation techniques include biosparging, bioventing,
bioaugmentation and bioculture.
Biosparging
• It is an in situ remediation technology that uses indigenous
microorganisms to biodegrade organic constituents in the saturated
zone.
• In biosparging, air or oxygen and nutrients are injected at high pressure
to increase the biological activity of indigenous microorganisms and to
enhance the decomposition activity.
Bioventing
• It is an in situ remediation technology that uses microorganisms to
biodegrade organic constituents absorbed in soils in the unsaturated
zone.
• Bioventing enhances the activity of indigenous bacteria and simulates the
natural in-situ biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in the soil by inducing air
or oxygen flow at low pressure into the Unsaturated zone and, if
necessary, by adding nutrients.
• In conventional bioventing systems, oxygen is delivered by an electric
blower to subsurface well.
Bioaugmentation
• In this technology, the microorganisms are imported to the contaminated
site to carry out degradation of organic wastes. For instance oilzapper.

Bioculture
• It is a bacterial formulation to improve waste degradation in septic tanks
and eliminate odours due to organic build up.
• Bioculture refers to the use of blend of bacteria that selectively produces
enzymes for the degradation of fats, oil, proteins, starch and
carbohydrates.
Ex-situ Bioremediation Techniques
Ex-situ refers to the transfer of contaminated material for treatment to some other site. Ex-
situ bioremediation techniques include land farming and biopile.

Land Farming
• In this technique, the contaminated soil is spread over a prepared bed. The soil is
periodically tilled to simulate the growth of microorganisms for degradation of organic
waste.
Biopile
• It is a hybrid of land farming and land-composting. Excavated soils are spread over
prepared bed, formed into compost piles and enclosed for treatment.
• Moisture, heat, nutrients, oxygen and pH are controlled to enhance biodegradation.
An irrigation or nutrient system is used to pass air and nutrients through the soil.
• Treatment time is typically 3 to 6 months, after which the estimated material is either
returned to its original location or disposed off.
• The treatment area is generally covered or contained with impermeable lining to
minimise the risk of contaminants releasing into the uncontaminated soil.
Bioremediation Techniques
Phytoremediation
• It means the use of plants to remove contamination from soil
and water. Neem plant is used for phytoremediation as it
absorbs poisonous elements and reduces the growth of
harmful microorganisms.
Phytoextraction
• It is a sub process of phytoremediation in which plants remove
dangerous elements or compounds from soil or water, mostly heavy
metals or metals that have a high density and are toxic to organisms
even at relatively low concentrations.
Mycoremediation
• It involves the use of fungus such as mycelia to decontaminate an area.
Mycorrhiza is another type of fungus which is used for bioremediation. It
also has important uses in agriculture.
In the context of solving pollution problems, what is/are the advantage/advantages of
bioremediation technique?
1. It is a technique for cleaning up pollution by enhancing the same biodegradation process
that occurs in nature.
2. Any contaminant with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can be readily and
completely treated by bioremediation using microorganisms.
3. Genetic engineering can be used to create microorganisms specifically designed for
bioremediation.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Q) recently “oilzapper” was in the news. What is it? (2011)
a) It is an eco friendly technology for the remediation of oily sludge and
oil spills
b) It is the latest technology developed for under-sea oil exploration
c) It is a genetically engineered high biofuel-yielding maize variety
d) It is the latest technology to control the accidentally caused flames from
oil well.
CLONING
• It is a process of asexual reproduction in
which the offspring or the progeny is an
exact replica of the single parent who has
contributed to the genetic material.
• Cloning is a process, where a cell is equipped with genetic information of an
organism, which has the ability to develop into full organism.
• Cloning in animals is used to produce duplicates of animals.
• First successfully cloned animal was the Sheep called Dolly in the year 1997
in Scotland.
Animal Cloning in India
Samrupa: In 2009 the world's first cloned buffalo calf named Samrupa,
was developed by National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal, Haryana.
But unlike Dolly, the first mammal cloned 13 years ago who lived for 7
years, Samrupa succumbed to a lung infection just 5 days after it was
born.
Garima: It was the world's 2nd cloned buffalo in India. It was developed
in 2009 and survived for more than 2 years. It died because of heart
failure in 2011.
Cirb Gaurav: In 2016 the scientists at Central institute for research on
buffaloes in Hisar, Haryana, cloned a buffalo and named it Cirb Gaurav.
Process of Cloning
• Cloning is performed by somatic cell (any cell in the body other than
sperm and egg, the two types of reproductive cells) nuclear transfer into
enucleated egg (an egg cell whose nucleus has been removed).
• The egg so obtained thereafter, stimulated by electric shock and
chemicals to initiate division.
• Within a week, this single cell becomes a ball of mass having around
150 unspecialised cells. This stage of Development is called blastocyst.
• The blastocyst is inserted into the uterus of a surrogate mother to
complete the process of embryonic development.
Types of Cloning
There are two types of cloning:
1. Reproductive
2. Therapeutic
The difference between the two is listed below:
1. In reproductive cloning the newly created embryo is placed back into
the uterus, where it takes time to develop into an individual.
Reproductive cloning is the production of genetic duplicate of an
existing organism.

2. Therapeutic cloning involves the replication of human embryos in order

to harvest stem cells for medical uses. In therapeutic cloning, an
embryo is created in a similar manner but the resultant clone are
stored in the lab they are not implanted into a female's uterus.
What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?
(a) Production of biolarvicides
(b) Manufacture of biodegradable plastics
(c) Reproductive cloning of animals
(d) Production of organisms free of diseases
Concerns over Reproductive Human Cloning
1. It may undermine society’s respect for human life. It may happen that clones are
treated as secondary race or even as slaves.
2. It may affect the social Institutions such as marriage and family. Single parent may
go for reproductive cloning. Thus, the Institution of marriage may be affected. Children
born out of reproductive cloning may be treated secondary in the family.
3. Reproductive cloning make create a Global Security concern. Nations or even
terrorist organisations may create cloned armies.
4. The reproductive cloning may emphasize on infusing desirable trait in
clones. This may promote the concept of ‘designer babies’ who are
genetically engineered to exhibit desirable characteristics.
5. Experiments and research on cloning require work on embryos. This is
opposed because according to some cultures, life begins at conception.
Reproductive Cloning vs Surrogacy
1. Process: In case of cloning, a somatic cell is taken from a donor and
is used to create an embryo. This child is born of a single parent and
carries his or her DNA only. In an In-Vitro fertilization or a test tube
baby, an egg fertilized by sperm is transferred into the uterus. It
creates a progeny similar to normal conception. The child carries
genes of both his/her parents.
2. Uniqueness of progeny: Biologically a child from IVF is a unique
human while a cloned child is genetically identical to his/her parent.
3. Lifespan: Shortened lifespan has been reported in many cases of
animal cloning. The progeny born of IVF leads a normal life.
4. Ethical issues: The ethical issues with IVF are not questioned as
Reproductive cloning.
Stem Cells
• Stem cells are the raw material for other body cells. They are considered
raw materials, because all the other cells with specialised functions are
generally from these cells.
• In other words stem cells are unspecialised cells which have not yet
developed into mature, specialised cells.
• These cells have the ability to develop into different, specialised body
cells.
Properties of Stem Cells
1. Ability of self-renewal
• The ability of stem cells to go through numerous cycles of cell division while
maintaining the undifferentiated state is called self-renewal.
• Under the right conditions in the body or a lab, stem cells divide to form more cells
called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells or become
specialised cells with a more specific function.
• No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types.
2. The ability to specialise
• The stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into specialised cell types. They have
the ability to specialise into various body cell types such as blood cells for the brain
cells, heart muscle or both.
Sources of stem cells
1. Embryonic stem cells
• Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are stem cells derived from the
undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo.
• At this stage, an embryo is called blastocyst and has around 150 cells.
• These stem cells are pluripotent stem cells, meaning they can divide into
more stem cells or can become any type of cell in the body. Thus, the
stem cells can be used to regenerate or repair diseased tissue and
organs.
Adult stem cells
• These stem cells are formed in small numbers in most adult tissues, such
as bone marrow or fat. Compared to embryonic stem cells, adult stem
cells have limited ability to specialise into various cells of the body.
• For instance, bone marrow stem cells may be able to create bone or
heart muscle cells, but not Nerve cells.

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Perinatal stem cells
• Perinatal stem cells (PSC) are derived from perinatal tissue source, such
as the umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord, placenta, amniotic fluid, and
so on.
• These stem cells also have the ability to change into specialised cells.
Totipotent, Pluripotent and Multipotent cells
• Totipotent cells can be specialised into all cell types in a body with the addition of
extra-embryonic or placental cells. Embryonic cells within the first two cell divisions
after fertilization are only the cells that are totipotent.

• Pluripotent cells can be specialised into all cell types that make up the body.
Embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent.

• Multipotent cells can be developed into more than one cell type but their ability to
specialise is more limited than pluripotent cells. Adult stem cells and umbilical cord
blood cells are considered as multipotent.
Uses of stem cells
1. Increased understanding of how diseases occur: By watching stem cells mature into
cells in bones, heart muscles and nerves and other organs and tissue, researchers and doctors
may be able to understand how diseases and conditions develop.
2. Generate healthy cells to replace diseased cells (regenerative medicine)
Stem cells can be guided to become specific cells that can be used to regenerate and repair
diseased or damaged tissues in people. People who might benefit from stem cell therapies
include those with spinal cord injuries, Type 1 Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer etc.
3. Test new drugs for safety and effectiveness
Before using new drugs in people, some types of stem cells are useful to test the safety and
quality of investigational drugs. For instance, Nerve cells could be generated to test new drug
for nerve disease. Tests could show whether the new drug has any effect on the cell and
whether the cells were harmed.
Issues Related to Stem Cells
Ethical issues in the use of stem cells
• Embryonic stem cells are obtained from early stage embryos, a group of cells that
form when the woman's egg is fertilized with a man's sperm. Thus, the use of
embryos to obtain stem cells is opposed by which believe that life begins
immediately after fertilization.

Problems with the use of adult stem cells

• Adult stem cells have limited ability to specialise, which limits how adult stem cells
can be used to treat diseases. Adult stem cells are also more likely to contain
abnormality such as toxins, or from errors of acquired by the cells during replication.
With reference to ‘stem cells’, frequently in the news which of the following
statements is/are correct?
1. Stem cells can be derived from mammals only.
2. Stem cells can be used for screening new drugs.
3. Stem cells can be used for medical therapies.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
DNA Fingerprinting
• DNA fingerprinting refers to identifying complete or partial set of
genetic information of a particular individual.
• It is essentially a DNA based identification system that relies on genetic
differences among individuals or organisms.
• A sample of blood, saliva, semen or other appropriate fluid or tissue
from personal items can be used for DNA fingerprinting.
Applications of DNA
Fingerprinting
1. Identification of criminals: DNA analysis of hair, bodily fluids, skin
etc. obtained from a Crime Scene is used to compare with the DNA
analysis of suspects to identify the actual criminal.

2. Claim over dead body: DNA fingerprinting is used to identify the

unrecognisable dead body.

3. Paternity: Paternity it can be established with certainty with DNA

analysis
4. Effective drugs: Drugs can be developed which are more effective
for a particular genetic disposition.

5. Treatment of genetic vulnerability: Genetic vulnerabilities can be

identified beforehand and can be prevented. For instance, if a person has
a genetic tendency for Hypertension, then preventive steps can be taken
to prevent the occurrence of hypertension.

6. Wildlife management: The more the genetic makeup of plants and

populations is understood, the better conservation and management plans
can be formulated.
Concerns over DNA Fingerprinting
1. The information about gene pool can lead to reference for designer babies
and ignore the genes which have undesirable characteristics, thus reducing
Genetic diversity.
2. Genetic privacy of individuals will be violated. It can have multiple
repercussions. For instance, a person with a particular genetic vulnerability
maybe look down upon socially.
3. Genetic information can be misused for commercial purposes. For example
medical Institutions will start offering medical packages based on DNA analysis.
4. Genetic information may be used to create Weapons of mass destruction
which may lead to ethical cleansing of a particular community.
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is a medical technique that manipulates genes to treat or
prevent a disease. Gene therapy research is focused on the following
approaches:
• Replacing a gene responsible for disease with a healthy gene.
• Inactivating or knocking out a gene that is functioning improperly
• Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease.
• Gene therapy is a treatment option for a number of diseases including
inherited disorders, some types of cancer and certain viral infections.
Concerns over gene therapy
1. Short lived nature of treatment
• Before gene therapy can become a permanent cure for a condition, the therapeutic
DNA introduced into the target cells must remain functional and cells containing the
therapeutic DNA must be stable. Problems with integrating therapeutic DNA into the
genome and the rapidly dividing nature of many cells prevent it from achieving long
term benefits. Patients undergoing gene therapy often require multiple treatments.
2. Immune response
• Depending on the number of times of foreign object is introduced into our body, the
immune system is stimulated to attack the invader. As a result, the gene therapy
might activate the response of our immune system. Even our immune system reduces
the effectiveness of gene therapy.
3. Multigene disorders
• Some commonly occurring diseases such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, Alzheimer's disease, Arthritis and diabetes are affected by
variations in multiple genes, which complicate the use of gene therapy.
• Presently, the technique remains risky. It is not yet proven to be safe and
effective. Gene therapy is currently being tested only for treatment of
diseases that have no other choice.
Three parents baby: Three-
parent baby, human offspring
produced from the genetic
material of one man and two
women through the use of
assisted reproductive
technologies, specifically
mitochondrial manipulation (or
replacement) technologies and
three-person in vitro fertilization
(IVF).
In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology
"Pronuclear Transfer" is used for
(a) fertilization of egg in vitro by the donor sperm
(b) genetic modification of sperm producing cells
(c) development of stem cells into functional embryos
(d) prevention of mitochondrial diseases in offspring
GM Mustard: Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 is a Genetically Modified (GM) mustard hybrid. The
1st-generation offspring resulting from it has higher yields than what either of the parents
is individually capable of giving.

What scientists have done is to create a viable hybridization system in mustard using GM
technology. The resulting GM mustard hybrid, it is claimed, gives 25-30% more yield than
the best varieties such as 'Varuna' currently grown in the country. This technology is
developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) in Delhi
University.
Q) Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the
following statements:
1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of
pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross- pollination and hybridization.
3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural
University.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Dark Biotechnology
• The dark side of biotechnology in its colour code is denoted as dark biotechnology
and involves the areas of bioterrorism, biowarfare, biocrimes, and anticrop warfare.
• In a sense, the dark biotechnology is pretty much about the negative aspect of
biological science and tools.

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Dark Biotechnology
Bioterrorism and Bioweapons
Bioterrorism is all about the deliberate use of biological agents, microorganisms,
pathogens, and toxins by releasing or disseminating to cause harm in the form of
illness or death to humans, crops, livestock, animals, or the natural environment.
The biological agents used for the purpose might be in their naturally occurring form
or can be modified to enhance their performance to cause diseases and spread to
the environment or to make them resistant to antidotes.
Regenerating Extinct Pathogens
• Biotechnology can bring back certain extinct forms of life which may
lead to some unpredictable and harmful consequences.
Effects on Biodiversity
• Biotechnology may have a negative effect on biodiversity.
• At present few plant and animal species are focus of research leading to
ignorance of other species.
• A focus on few species may lead to their growth and can have a
negative effect on remaining species.
Terminator Genes
• Biotechnology is used to develop plant varieties with Terminator genes.
• A terminator gene in a genetically modified crop plant stops the plant
from releasing fertile seed. Hence the farmer is again required to
purchase the seeds in the next cropping season.
• The practice of incorporating Terminator gene trait in some seed
varieties is adopted by multinational companies to enhance the sale of
seeds.
• This terminated treat may cross-pollinate with local varieties and may
affect the continuity of agriculture.
Ethical Issues in Biotechnology
a. Socio economic issues Scientific community assuring us that
biotechnology is harmless, and promises marvellous advantages to
humankind, even that it may be the key to our survival in an ever-
changing world.
b. Cultural issues The ethics of biotechnology entails both a reflection on
the immediate consequences of its use, and on the underlying social and
cultural conditions of which it is a part.

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Ethical Issues in Biotechnology
c. Environmental issues A gene that protects a food crop from certain
pests benefits the farmer and the seed company directly, but should that
gene cross into a noxious species, it may well create problems for the
general public.
d. Other Legal issues Legal issues are being arises in the use of
biotechnological techniques. Particularly modern techniques such as stem
cell technology, gene therapy, and human genome project have generated
many issues in the society and there is need to resolve them for the
satisfaction of the person who is receiving treatment or getting benefit from
these techniques.

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