Biotechnology Pharmaceutical Lecture 1

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 1

• This is a course on Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, lecture 1.
• The course instructor is Dr. Fatn Kfy.

Biotechnology

• Biotechnology is a set of techniques used to modify the genetic composition of cells.
• It involves transferring genes between individuals of the same species or between different species to produce or modify a product.
• It's used to create improved or new organisms.

Classical/Traditional Biotechnology

• This refers to activities from before the 20th century.
• It involves using living organisms in industrial processes, particularly in agriculture, food production (fermentation), and medicine.

Modern Biotechnology

• Modern biotechnology is similar to classical biotechnology, but it uses a wide range of advanced and modern techniques to meet the needs of the era.
• Examples of its products include:
  • New drug development.
  • Disease diagnosis.
  • Vaccine production.
  • Food products.
  • Cosmetics.
  • Useful chemicals for industry.
  • Genetically modified crops that resist pests, diseases, and harsh environmental conditions.

Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology

• Modern biotechnology integrates technologies like genomics and proteomics.
• Bioinformatics and computational biology also play crucial roles.

Definition of Biotechnology

• Commercialization of cell and molecular biology.
• Controlled use of biological agents like cells or cellular components for beneficial use.
• Use of living organisms, cells, or cellular components to produce compounds or improve living things.

Genetics in Biotechnology

• Gregor Mendel's work in 1906 was a turning point.

• Genes play a role in crop improvement.

• The "Green Revolution" in the 1940s improved food production. - DNA structure was determined in 1953.

• Recombinant DNA technologies were developed in the 1970s.

• Advances in understanding and manipulating genetic material became possible and led to the development of modern biotechnology and its application in pharmaceuticals.

• Human insulin was produced in bacteria in 1982.

• Monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis were developed.

• Organisms like the onco-Mouse are used in cancer research.

• Many crops are genetically modified to resist pests and diseases.

• Important applications include the development of new medicines, diagnosis of diseases, and development of vaccines.

• Genetically modified crops, and improved food products.

Basic Genetics

• Genetics is the study of biological inheritance.
• Gregor Mendel is considered the founder of modern genetics.
• Genes have specific locations on chromosomes called loci.
• Genes can be coding (producing proteins) or non-coding (not producing proteins).
• Alleles are different versions of a gene.

Chemical Structure of Nucleic Acids

• Nucleic acids include RNA and DNA.
• Nucleotides are the building blocks, comprised of a pentose sugar, nitrogenous base, and phosphate group.
• DNA uses deoxyribose and has bases such as adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T).
• RNA uses ribose and has bases like adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and uracil (U).

Nucleic Acid Packaging

• In prokaryotes, packaging involves supercoiling by DNA gyrase to fit the DNA into the cell.

Bacteria in Biotechnology

• Bacteria can be beneficial for research due to their easy growth, rapid multiplication, genetic manipulation, and wide diversity.
• Bacteria are widely used in biotechnological industries. They are used for the production of recombinant proteins, enzymes, and other molecules. Examples include the production of insulin and other medicines.
• Some bacteria are thermophilic (heat-loving) and are used to make enzymes stable in high temperatures, which were an important advancement for molecular biology and PCR techniques.