Biotechnology and Developing Countries
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
In a well presented post, Greg Odogwu from Abuja, Nigeria, looks at the biotechnology scene and its significance for developing countries like Nigeria.
As he says, biotechnology has been around for a long time as in the making of cheese, wine and beer. Its modern applications include production of vaccines, insulin and the currently controversial genetically modified crops. The latter has become controversial owing to such products as the terminator seeds that can make farmers dependent on seeds from the market (instead of using part of the last crop as seeds).
While GM crops have become controversial, it is generally agreed that using existing practices, the world cannot provide food for its growing population. Eradicating hunger would need improved agricultural practices in developing countries. Crops like cassava that are consumed by the poor can benefit from biotechnology.
In addition to agriculture, healthcare is also benefiting from modern biotechnology. In addition to producing substances like human insulin and human growth hormone, it is theoretically possible to treat hereditary diseases through genetic engineering by working with the genes that make one prone to the disease.
The author of the blog wonders whether Nigeria is missing the biotechnology revolution. Read the blog post at the Daily Independent.
Tags: biotechnology, crop science, genetic engineering, GM crops, healthcare
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Optogenetics: Firing Nerve Cells with Light
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
Genetic researchers typically work with cells by changing specific proteins that are created by the genetic information contained in the cell DNA. They study the cause and effect relationships of changing the genetic information and its impact on behavior and development of the organism concerned. In the case of nerve cells in the brain, however, it is the electrical actions occurring in them that are more significant.
Optogenetics is a technique to induce electrical actions in nerve cells by using light. Researchers are then able to observe the impact of the induced actions on behavior and other consequences. Light has speed that can be measured in millisecond-scale that is necessary for studying neuron actions and their results.
Optogenetics seeks to add or remove specific activity patterns in specific nerve cells and observe what happens. Findings of such studies have the potential to help with treating diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Autism and Schizophrenia, and behavior problems such as drug abuse.
Researchers use certain proteins that change the neural cells’ response to specific color lights. These proteins are genetically engineered into the neurons, enabling the latter to be turned on in response to, say blue light. Other proteins can turn the neurons off stopping it from firing.
Read the article on Optogenetics at Scientific American for more details.
Tags: biotechnology, brain studies, neural cells, response to light
Posted in biotechnology, genetic modification | 1 Comment »
Cereal Biotechnology
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
Cereals like wheat, maize and rice account for more than half the world’s food, and provide the bulk of basic human nutrition, directly and also indirectly as animal fodder. The demand for cereals will rise as:
* Population increases owing to better control over diseases and elimination of major conflicts like world wars, and
* Increasing prosperity leads to higher demand for food from people who could earlier afford only the bare minimum.
It is considered impossible to meet the growing demand with current methods of growing food. Modern biotechnology can help increase the supply of cereals through:
* Improving the effectiveness of traditional breeding programs by using molecular markers
* Increasing yields from existing fields through genetic modification, and
* Developing genetically modified crops that can be cultivated in regions presently inhospitable for cereal cultivation.
To achieve the above goals, however, better interactions are required between molecular biologists and industry managers. Legislative issues and public perceptions of GM crops also need to be addressed for achieving the goals.
The downloadable Cereal Biotechnology e-book goes into these details. The discussion in the book is clear and focused, and will help even non-specialists to gain an understanding of the issues involved.
The book is available for download at RapidShare.com.
Tags: biotechnology, crop science, genetic modification, traditional breeding
Posted in biotechnology, crop science, genetic modification | 2 Comments »
DNA Sequencing has Applications in Numerous Fields
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
DNA sequencing identifies the order of nucleotides (building blocks of DNA) in a segment of DNA. Knowledge of this order can help identify the genetic makeup of an organism. Researchers have been able to associate vulnerability to certain diseases with specific genetic makeup. The DNA sequence of individuals can help determine their vulnerabilities, as well as the type of treatment that will work for them. Such personalized treatment is the future of medicine.
Genetic therapy that replaces defective genes with healthy ones is another medical application.
DNA sequences are unique for individuals and this characteristic has been used in forensics to identify the presence of individuals at crime scenes. Hair, nail, skin or blood samples can be analyzed and the DNA sequence can be compared with that of suspect’s. DNA sequencing is also used to determine paternity.
And genetically modified crops with higher yields, better resistance to pest attacks and even greater nutritional value have become possible with the help of DNA sequencing and manipulation.
Scientific projects such as the human genome project involved extensive DNA sequencing. It is this project that helped researchers identify the relationship between disease and genetic makeup.
DNA sequencing has several applications and the industry is growing fast. A report goes into specific detail starting with a look at DNA, the methods used for DNA sequencing and an analysis of the market for DNA sequencing industry by methods, applications and regions.
Tags: biotechnology, dna, dna sequencing, personalized medicine
Posted in biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, crop science, diseases, genetic modification | 1 Comment »
Modern Biotechnology’s Significance to Current Agricultural Scenario
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Our world is threatened by food shortage (among other threats) resulting from climate change and population growth. Climate change is making yields of food crops unpredictable as they depend on the weather under traditional farming practices. And population growth is tending to push up demand for food beyond availability.
A solution to the problem under such a scenario might lie in the adoption of modern biotechnology in traditional societies. For example, Professor Walter Sandow Alhassan, Project Coordinator for Safe Biotechnology Management in Sub-Saharan Africa (SABIMA) under the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), recently called upon the people of Ghana, Africa, to adopt modern biotechnology in farming.
Modern biotechnology is seeking to tackle several issues related to farming. The following are some of the major issues biotechnology is seeking to help with:
* Expansion of arable land by developing crops that can grow in areas formerly unfit for the crops
* Increasing the yield of crops through genetic modification of the crops
* Preventing pollution of human and animal habitats that occurs now from agro-chemical runoffs
* Finding a way to tackle the crop pests that have so far proven intractable
* Finding cures for the diseases that affect plants and animals
* Developing alternatives for fossil fuels used in agricultural operations, as the fuel supplies are not only getting exhausted but also becoming costlier
* Tackling the stresses resulting from climate change
Read the news story at GhanaWeb.
Tags: biotechnology, climate change, food crops, food shortage
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Bt Brinjal and the GM Crops Dilemma
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
The Indian government has put an indefinite moratorium on the commercial release of genetically modified Bt Brinjal (egg plant). The moratorium was imposed in response to a situation where “there is no clear consensus within the scientific community itself, when there is so much opposition from the state governments, civil society organizations and eminent scientists have raised many serious questions not been answered satisfactorily,” according to the central government minister.
Critics of Bt Brinjal argue that the new engineered crop could destroy the vast bio-diversity of the numerous varieties of local brinjal. Preserving bio-diversity is critical because many of the genetic traits of the different varieties could prove invaluable. For example, new high-yielding varieties of rice that led to the Indian green revolution made governments neglect several local rice varieties that had traits like drought-resistance (though not high yields).
On the other hand, opponents of the moratorium point out that with the “uncertainty prevailing about GM crops, the companies wanting to invest in bio technology in agricultural sector would be hesitant to do so.” They complain that “there has been no palpable, effective and time bound effort to resolve the uncertainties caused by the moratorium.”
The case is an excellent example of the dilemma caused by GM crops with fears such as destruction of bio-diversity and unknown risks on one part and the risk of losing the benefits of scientific research on the other.
Read the news at Financial Express.
Tags: biodiversity, biotechnology, genetic modification, GM crops
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Biotechnology Applications in the Textile Industry
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Biotechnology improves crops by tailoring their properties or transferring properties from one organism to another. Both these processes involve working with the organisms’ genes (that determine genetic characteristics), made possible by advances in genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering has already benefited the textile industry and promises much more. For example, cotton, which is the leading fiber used by the textile industry, is vulnerable to attacks by many insects. Cotton also has poor tolerance against herbicides used to kill weeds in irrigated cotton fields. By working with the genes of the crop, scientists are hoping to develop insect and herbicide resistant varieties of cotton.
Another objective is to develop cotton varieties that will be naturally colored, say blue or vivid red, so that bleaching and dyeing of textiles can be eliminated. Research is also going on to provide other desirable properties at a genetic level.
In Australia, sheep is being “engineered” to secrete an insect repellant from its hair follicles to resist attacks from blowfly, and also stop hair growth so that wool can be “pulled off” instead of being sheared. Shearing wool from sheep is a cumbersome and time-consuming process.
Biotechnology is helping not only such genetic engineering results but is also helping in disease diagnostics and new forms of therapy, for example.
Read the great post on biotechnology applications in textile industry at The World of Snark.
Tags: biotechnology, crop science, genetic engineering, GM crops
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Patenting Genes and Other Biotech Development Issues
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Genes are “products of nature” which are not legally allowed to be patented. Additionally, giving monopoly to a company on a human gene is immoral. Thus go the arguments of those like American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others who have filed suits against gene patenting.
A U.S. District Court ruled in favor of ACLU, and the company concerned, Myriad Pharmaceuticals, have gone in appeal.
The basic argument of gene patenting advocates is that developing biotech drugs is a highly expensive process, and that companies will have an incentive to do this and develop lifesaving diagnostics and therapies only if their discoveries are protected as intellectual property. The Patent Office has been granting patents on genes on the ground that once these are isolated from their natural environment in the body, they cease to be products of nature.
Other cases in courts include patentability of business methods, such as methods of analysis, data interpretation, and performing certain tasks including the administering of diagnostic tests and therapeutics.
Personalized medicine is a new development related to genes. A person’s genetic makeup can determine which treatments will be most effective for that person, as identified through genetic diagnostic tests. Companies have been developing such tests in the laboratory and these laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are now being increasingly overseen by the Food and Drug Administration to assess the risks involved.
Read the article at TechJournal South.
Tags: biotechnology, gene patenting, genetic diagnostic test, personalized medicine
Posted in biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, business, genetic modification, intellectual property | No Comments »
The Second Green Revolution will Need GM Technology
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
In the article titled How Science Could Spark a Second Green Revolution, the author reports that a Pennsylvania State University professor and his colleagues have been working to develop crops with longer roots. Growing steeper and deeper into the ground, these roots will be able to find more moisture and nutrients.
According to the report, the team has been able to identify root traits that can produce “two or three times more food without fertilizer.” The professor, Jonathan Lynch, uses traditional cross-breeding techniques, and has also identified an unrecognized trait in corn that can improve yields eightfold in drought conditions.
The focus on root traits and drought resistant crops has a sound basis. In the first green revolution, focus was on fertilizer use and improved irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. However, with diminishing availability of good land, we need crops that can grow under hostile conditions.
Crops will have to be cultivated on marginal lands where both water and artificial fertilizer will be scarce. Additionally, climate change is likely to make presently agriculture-friendly regions drier and hotter. It is in this context that crops with roots that can get water and nutrients from deeper soil become significant.
Though Lynch had used traditional cross-breeding techniques, it is generally considered that Genetically Modified (GM) crops hold the key to the second green revolution. Though GM crops are facing opposition on safety and other considerations, genetic engineering seems to be only real solution for the likely food shortages in the future, according to many experts.
Read the full article at Checkbiotech.
Tags: biotechnology, crop science, cross breeding, drought resistance, genetic modification
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What should We Believe about Genetically Modified Crops?
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Genetically Modified (GM) crops are targets for an often violent debate. Advocates of GM crops point to the higher yields and benefits like built-in pest resistance that modifying the genes of the crops can provide. Opponents say that the safety of GM crops has not been proven through long-term use and that they might cause unforeseen harm to environment and consumers.
Traditionally, the technique of cross-breeding between different species has been used to transfer desirable characteristics from one species to another. However, this procedure is time-consuming and cannot often produce the specific results that we want.
Genetic modification involves working with the genes of crop plants. Because it is genes that determine the characteristics of organisms, it is possible to change the characteristics by modifying the genes using molecular biotechnology. Scientists might, for example, locate a gene that provides drought resistance, and insert that gene into a plant used as food crop. Done successfully, this can provide drought resistance trait to the food crop.
Genetic modification has provided several advantages:
- Crops with pest-resistance eliminate the need to use pesticides, with consequent lower costs and also elimination of the health hazards that pesticides cause
- Crops resistant to herbicides can also provide a somewhat similar benefit. Herbicides are used to destroy weeds that reduce crop yields. Application of herbicides can affect the crop and also cause environmental damage. Both these results can be reduced by making the crops herbicide resistant
- Genetic modification that can improve resistance against viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause damage to crops can increase crop yields
- Tolerance for drought, cold and salinity can make it possible to grow crops in conditions formerly not possible, and thus meet the ever-increasing demand for food
- People in poorer countries often depend on a single food, such as rice. These food items might not provide adequate nutrition. Genetic modification can make such food items more balanced in nutritive value
- If food crops can be modified to provide medicinal and disease prevention benefits presently provided by medicines and vaccines, both availability and affordability of the medicines and vaccines can be improved
- Non-food plants have been modified to clean up the environment, e.g. remove metal pollutants from contaminated soil
Opposition to GM crops have been also gaining strength, mainly because of:
- Toxins designed to kill one type of organism, viz. pests, can also kill other, unintended, organisms. For example, pollen from B.t. corn is reported to have killed monarch butterfly caterpillars, a finding that is being contested by industry groups and others
- Pests might become resistant to plants that have been modified for pest-resistance, just as mosquitoes become resistant to DDT
- Genes can be transferred to other species through natural cross-breeding, causing not-so-beneficial results and other problems. For example, weeds might gain herbicide resistance from herbicide resistant crops, making them “super weeds.” GM characteristics might also be passed on to non-GM crops in neighboring fields, resulting in problems for farmers growing non-GM crops
Read more about the issues at ProQuest.
Tags: biotechnology issues, GM crops, molecular biotechnology
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