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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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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Biotechnology in Textile Industry
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Cotton, the leading textile fiber, is cultivated in about 85 countries in the world. The plant is susceptible to pest and weed attacks. Biotechnologists have been trying to develop pest, disease and herbicide resistant varieties of cotton using genetic engineering.
Failures occur in the process. Recent reports from Gujarat suggest that GM Cotton designed to resist attacks from a pink bollworm pest has begun to fail as the pests have begun to develop resistance. Monsanto is now advising farmers to go in for a second generation seed.
Another focus of biotechnology for cotton is to develop naturally colored fibers so that bleaching and dyeing can be eliminated for making colored cotton textiles.
Coming to animal fibers, Australian biotechnologists are trying to genetically modify sheep so that the animals can secrete an insect repellent from their hair follicles to repel blowflies. Presently, blowfly larvae is a serious problem that affects wool production.
A biopolymer developed by Zeneca Bioproducts, Biopol, can be melted and spun into biocompatible and biodegradable fibers for surgical use. Surgical sutures using these fibers will be degraded by the action of human body enzymes thus eliminating the need to remove these manually.
Tags: biotechnology, genetic engineering, GM seeds, natural fibers
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