Introduction to Biotechnology

Biotechnology is the manipulation of living organisms and organic material to serve human needs.
Examples: yeast in bread making and alcohol production, use of beneficial bacteria to kill harmful organisms, cloning of plants and animals, and artificial insemination.

Research is conducted by small companies, large corporations, and public universities.
Funding comes from public (government) and private (companies and foundations) sources.
California passed a $300 billion referendum for research in stem cells in 2004.
Focuses on various research areas, including health/medicine, food science, environmental science, and agriscience.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are consumed by millions of people every day.
Almost 56% of all soybean plantings worldwide are genetically engineered.
Genetically modified crops were produced on more than 167 million acres in 18 countries in 2003, a 15% increase from 2002.
The US was the largest single producer with more than 60% of the total acreage in production.
The NC Biotechnology Center predicts that the biotechnology industry in the state will contribute more than $25 billion in annual income each year within the next 25 years.

Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria using a simple microscope in 1675.
Gregor Mendel conducted the first genetics experiments using pea plants in the mid-1800s and is considered the founder of genetics.
Louis Pasteur disproved the notion of spontaneous generation, described the role of bacteria in spoilage, and created the rabies vaccine in the 1870s.
Robert Hooke invented the compound light microscope and observed cells in cork in 1665.
James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA using X-ray photographs in 1953.
Paul Berg developed recombinant DNA technology, a method for inserting genetic material from one organism into another, in 1972.

The concept of biotechnology emerged in ancient times through food production, plant and animal breeding, and the use of bacteria to produce cheese.
DNA was discovered in trout sperm by German Miescher in 1869.
The word "biotechnology" was first used by a Hungarian agricultural engineer in 1919.
Widespread work was undertaken to investigate the structure and function of DNA in the 1940s-1950s.
The U.S. Supreme Court approved the patenting of genetically altered organisms in 1980.
GMOs and biotechnology techniques were introduced in fields from agriculture to medicine in the 1980s-1990s.
The first transgenic organisms (GMOs) were introduced in widespread agricultural production, particularly in crops, in the 1990s.
Human cloning was outlawed in the US, and concerns over human stem cell research began to arise in the late 1990s-early 2000s.
The COVID-19 vaccine was developed using biotechnology techniques in 2020-2021.

There has been increased activity and research between different agricultural areas with common research techniques and goals, including plant science, animal science, environmental science, and health/agri-medicine.

Transfer of genes found in transgenic organisms to natural populations.
Unexpected impacts of genetically modified organisms and biotechnology processes on other organisms and the environment.
Expense of utilizing many biotechnology techniques.
Concerns over the safety and ethics of incorporating GMOs into food for human consumption, including allergens.
Lack of education among consumers and producers concerning biotechnology processes and products.

Biotechnology is the manipulation of living organisms and organic material to serve human needs.
Examples: yeast in bread making and alcohol production, use of beneficial bacteria to kill harmful organisms, cloning of plants and animals, and artificial insemination.

Research is conducted by small companies, large corporations, and public universities.
Funding comes from public (government) and private (companies and foundations) sources.
California passed a $300 billion referendum for research in stem cells in 2004.
Focuses on various research areas, including health/medicine, food science, environmental science, and agriscience.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are consumed by millions of people every day.
Almost 56% of all soybean plantings worldwide are genetically engineered.
Genetically modified crops were produced on more than 167 million acres in 18 countries in 2003, a 15% increase from 2002.
The US was the largest single producer with more than 60% of the total acreage in production.
The NC Biotechnology Center predicts that the biotechnology industry in the state will contribute more than $25 billion in annual income each year within the next 25 years.

Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria using a simple microscope in 1675.
Gregor Mendel conducted the first genetics experiments using pea plants in the mid-1800s and is considered the founder of genetics.
Louis Pasteur disproved the notion of spontaneous generation, described the role of bacteria in spoilage, and created the rabies vaccine in the 1870s.
Robert Hooke invented the compound light microscope and observed cells in cork in 1665.
James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA using X-ray photographs in 1953.
Paul Berg developed recombinant DNA technology, a method for inserting genetic material from one organism into another, in 1972.

The concept of biotechnology emerged in ancient times through food production, plant and animal breeding, and the use of bacteria to produce cheese.
DNA was discovered in trout sperm by German Miescher in 1869.
The word "biotechnology" was first used by a Hungarian agricultural engineer in 1919.
Widespread work was undertaken to investigate the structure and function of DNA in the 1940s-1950s.
The U.S. Supreme Court approved the patenting of genetically altered organisms in 1980.
GMOs and biotechnology techniques were introduced in fields from agriculture to medicine in the 1980s-1990s.
The first transgenic organisms (GMOs) were introduced in widespread agricultural production, particularly in crops, in the 1990s.
Human cloning was outlawed in the US, and concerns over human stem cell research began to arise in the late 1990s-early 2000s.
The COVID-19 vaccine was developed using biotechnology techniques in 2020-2021.

There has been increased activity and research between different agricultural areas with common research techniques and goals, including plant science, animal science, environmental science, and health/agri-medicine.

Transfer of genes found in transgenic organisms to natural populations.
Unexpected impacts of genetically modified organisms and biotechnology processes on other organisms and the environment.
Expense of utilizing many biotechnology techniques.
Concerns over the safety and ethics of incorporating GMOs into food for human consumption, including allergens.
Lack of education among consumers and producers concerning biotechnology processes and products.