Biotechnological Approaches for Biosystems Technology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering medical biotechnology applications, production processes, and environmental/ethical considerations.

Antibiotics

Chemical substances produced naturally by microorganisms or manufactured through biotechnology to selectively kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Selectivity of Action

The ability of an antibiotic to selectively target biological structures or processes essential to bacterial cells that are absent or different in eukaryotic host cells.

Fermentation in Bioreactors

A major biotechnological process step where selected microorganisms are cultivated in large industrial tanks under controlled conditions to produce high yields of antibiotics or recombinant proteins.

Animal-Derived Insulin

Insulin historically extracted from cow and pig pancreases, requiring approximately $4,535\,\text{kg}$ ($10,000\,\text{lbs}$) of animal tissue to yield $0.45\,\text{kg}$ ($1\,\text{lb}$) of insulin, which caused minor allergic responses due to amino acid differences.

Biosynthetic Human Insulin

Pure human insulin produced using recombinant DNA technology in cultured host microbes like Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, making it $100\%$ chemically identical to human insulin.

Recombinant Plasmid

A circular DNA vector into which a specific gene of interest, such as the human insulin gene, has been inserted using restriction enzymes and DNA ligase.

Blue/White Selection

A screening technique using nutrient medium containing ampicillin and X-gal, where blue colonies represent cells with unmodified plasmids and white colonies represent transformed cells containing recombinant plasmids.

Vaccine

A biological preparation containing active components or genetic templates that prime the immune system to recognize and combat specific disease-causing pathogens.

Antigen

The active ingredient in a vaccine—such as a protein subunit, carbohydrate, or weakened/inactivated pathogen—that stimulates a specific immune response in the host.

Nucleic Acid Vaccine

A vaccine approach that uses genetic material (DNA or mRNA) encoding specific viral or bacterial proteins to instruct host cells to produce the target antigen internally.

mRNA Vaccine Mechanism

A platform where artificially synthesized mRNA coding for a target pathogen protein (such as the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein) is encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and delivered to host cells for expression.

Antibodies (Immunoglobulins)

Specialized Y-shaped immune proteins secreted by B cells that specifically recognize, bind to, and neutralize foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and toxins.

Monoclonal Antibodies

Identical antibodies derived from a single clone of B cells that specifically bind to a single, identical epitope on a target antigen.

Hybridoma Technology

A method of producing monoclonal antibodies by fusing short-lived, antibody-producing B cells from an immunized animal with immortal myeloma cancer cells.

Adult Stem Cells

Undifferentiated cells located in mature adult tissues (such as bone marrow, blood, skin, and adipose tissue) that can divide and differentiate into specialized cell types for tissue repair and regeneration.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic material from genetically modified crops to wild plant relatives or native species, potentially reducing natural biodiversity or creating herbicide-resistant weeds.

Target Resistance

The biological process by which insect pest populations develop resistance over time due to continuous exposure to insecticidal genetically modified crops (such as Bt crops).

Designer Babies

A term referring to embryos genetically modified in the human germline to select non-medical traits like physical appearance or intelligence, raising ethical concerns about permanent socioeconomic divides.

Genetic Privacy

The ethical right and legal protection of individuals regarding the control, storage, and non-disclosure of their personal genomic information to prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation or discrimination.

Xenotransplantation

The transplantation of living cells, tissues, or organs from animal species (such as genetically modified pigs) into human recipients.

Transgenic Animals

Animals whose genome has been intentionally modified by inserting foreign DNA, such as mice modified to model human disease or develop treatments.

3Rs Principle

An ethical framework governing animal testing that mandates replacing animal models where possible, reducing the number of animals used, and refining procedures to minimize distress.

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

An international agreement that regulates the safe transfer, handling, and use of living modified organisms produced through modern biotechnology to prevent risks to biodiversity and human health.