Introduction to Biotechnology

Hungarian engineer Karl Ereky first proposed the term "biotechnology" in 1919.
Biotechnology is defined as the use of living cells or organisms to create products or processes for specific purposes.
Core capabilities of biotechnology include:
- Modifying the hereditary characteristics of organisms.
- Developing new organisms with desired characters from a cell or a part of an organism.
- Producing required substances from modified organisms.
Modern biotechnology emerged after the discovery of the structure and function of DNA in 1953.
Key techniques include fermentation, recombinant DNA technology, cell culture, gene editing, genetic engineering, and tissue culturing.
British embryologist Sir lan Wilmut led the research group that produced Dolly, a lamb cloned from an adult body cell in 1997.

Fermentation is the oldest form of biotechnology, historically used to make bread, beer, and yogurt.
Yeast is a microscopic fungus essential for anaerobic fermentation:
- Bread Making: Ferments sugars in dough to produce carbon dioxide ( $CO_2$ ) gas, forming bubbles that cause the dough to rise and become soft and airy; alcohol produced evaporates during baking.
- Ethanol Production: Ferments sugars from crops like sugarcane or corn to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide, which is then purified for biofuel or alcoholic beverages.

Bacteria are essential microorganisms that are simple, fast-growing, and easily accept new genetic material.
Used in biotechnology for:
- Producing medicines (including anti-biotics).
- Studying genes.
- Creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs).