Quiz 1 for Introduction to Biotechnology

What are the qualities of a scientific investigation (3)

(1) conducted to gain knowledge (2) careful observations must form the basis of information gathering (3) The results of a scientific investigation must be reproducible

What are the steps of a scientific investigation

observation, hypothesis, conducting a test, making a conclusion

observation

new observations can lead to new conclusions

hypothesis

a proposal of a possible solution generated by a hypothesis

testing

there is an experimental group and a control group

conclusion

interpretation and analysis of the data

What did Edward Jenner do?

He wanted to see if an infection with cowpox could protect a person from smallpox infection because it was popular opinion that it could protect them. He tested it on some subjects and this claim was true and his method of preventing smallpox became widespread. His method of vaccination actually eradicated it from the world in 1980.

What did Robert Koch do?

He developed a method to identify a disease causing agent. He made careful observations and made sure that his postulates were reproducible.

The postulates are: (1) The microbe is present in each case of the disease (2) The microbe can be taken from the host and grown independently (3) The disease can be produced by introducing the microbe to a healthy host (4) The microbe can be isolated and identified from the host

What did Pearl Kendrick do?

She developed a whooping cough vaccine that she hoped would be more effective than previous vaccines. She decided to have a control group to see if the vaccine was effective. She should have randomized which children went to the control and experimental group, but she set a standard for how future vaccine trials should be set up.

What did Jonas Salk do?

He made a poliovirus vaccine and tested it on 1.3 million children in a double blind randomized experiment. This means that nobody, not even the person who gave the experiment, knew if the person got a placebo or not. The vaccine worked and saved countless lives.

biotechnology

the science of using living organisms, or the products of living organisms, for human benefit (or to benefit human surroundings)—that is, to make a product or solve a problem.

What did our ancestors use microorganism for?

used fermentation to make breads, cheeses, yogurts, and alcoholic beverages

selective breeding

organisms with desirable features are purposely mated to produce offspring with the same desirable characteristics

model organisms

By selecting plants and animals with desirable characteristics, humans are choosing organisms with useful genes and taking advantage of their genetic potential for human benefit

metastasize

study how cancer cells spread

antibiotics

substances produced by microorganisms that will inhibit the growth of other microorganisms

Batch (large-scale) processes

scientists can grow bacteria and other cells in large amounts and harvest useful products in large batches

gene cloning

ability to identify and reproduce a gene of interest

genetic engineering

manipulating the DNA of an organism

recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology

Through genetic engineering, scientists are able to combine DNA from different sources

Human Genome Project

international research effort with goals to identify and sequence all genes contained in the DNA of human cells (the genome) and to map gene locations to each of the 24 human chromosomes (chromosomes 1 to 22 and the X and Y chromosomes). it revealed the chromosomal location and sequence of every human gene, from genes that control normal cellular processes and determine characteristics such as hair color, eye color, height, and weight to the myriad of genes that cause human genetic diseases.

genomics

the study of genomes

What’s a new approach for genome editing

CRISPR-Cas

do-it-yourself (DIY) biotechnology

individuals with many different backgrounds—from new doctoral students, to kitchen biologists with little formal training, to amateurs with an interest in tinkering, to entrepreneurs. Some have referred to DIY participants as “biohackers.”

basic sciences

research into fundamental processes of living organisms at the biochemical, molecular, and genetic levels

bioinformatics

Typically, biochemical, molecular, and genetic techniques would be used to determine the role of this gene. This process also involves using computer science in sophisticated ways to study the sequence of a gene and analyze the structure of the protein produced by the gene

recombinant proteins

produced by gene-cloning/recombinant DNA techniques

gene therapy

delivering genes to treat or cure a genetic disorder

proteome

the collection of proteins responsible for human cells

personal genomics

sequencing entire individual human genomes

single-nucleotide polymorphisms

SNPs are single-nucleotide changes, or mutations, in DNA sequences that vary from individual to individual

personalized/precision medicine/pharmacogenomics

tailor-designing drug therapy and treatment strategies based on the specific genetic profile of a patient

nanotechnology

application of nanotechnology related to medical biotechnology has been the development of small particles that can be used to deliver drugs to cells

Gene therapy technologies involve…

replacing or augmenting defective genes with normal copies of them

Regenerative medicine

growing skin cells, blood cells, and even whole organs in the lab and using these to replace damaged tissue or failing organs such as the liver, pancreas, and retina

pharmaceutical companies

involved in drug development by chemically synthesizing or purifying compounds used to make the drug

startup companies

formed by a small team of scientists who believe that they might have a promising product to make

venture capital

Biotechnology startup companies rely on financial investments

Angel investors

affluent individuals who provide capital for a startup in exchange for company ownership

initial public offering (IPO)

it is available for the public to purchase shares of company stock

Laboratory technicians

responsible for duties such as cleaning and maintaining equipment used by scientists and keeping labs stocked with supplies

Research assistants/research associates

carry out experiments under the direct supervision of established and experienced scientists

big data

Massive amounts of data being generated by genome projects, drug studies, and other approaches

Data scientists/analysts

keep biotechnology companies from drowning in the ever-increasing sea of data that has inundated modern science

scale-up processes

cultured cells making up a product must be grown on a large scale

Customer relation specialists or product complaint specialists

One function of such specialists is to investigate consumer complaints about a problem with a product and to follow up with the consumer to provide an appropriate response or solution to the problem encountered.

Sales representatives

work with medical doctors, hospitals, and medical institutions to promote a company’s products.

Marketing specialists

devise advertising campaigns and promotional materials to target customers needs for the products a company sells

Finance divisions

typically run by vice presidents or chief financial officers who oversee company finances and are also often

involved in raising funds from partners or venture capitalists seeking investments in technology companies

Legal specialists

work on legal issues associated with product development and marketing, such as copyrights, naming rights, and obtaining patents

bioethics

area of ethics that deals with the implications of biological research and biotechnological applications

who was the first bioethicist

Hippocrates

Hippocratic Oath

do not kill

utilitarian approach/consequential ethics

something is good if it is useful, and an action is moral if it produces the “greatest good for the greatest number.”

deontological (Kantian) approach

focuses on certain imperatives, or absolute principles, which we should follow out of a sense of duty and should dictate our actions

Utilitarianism

calculate what the consequences of an action would be and to weigh different consequences against one another

Deontology or objectivism

point of view that there are at least some absolutes (definitive rules that cannot be broken) and that we have a moral obligation or commitment to adhere to these absolutes

statistical probability

It is crucial to determine accurately what chance exists for a “bad” event to happen.

risk assessments

likelihood that something harmful or unintended will happen