Biotechnology

  • application of the principles of engineering and biological science to create new products in order to improve human health and human environment.

Agricultural Biotechnology

  • area of biotechnology involving applications to agriculture

  • Agriculture is the “ancient biotechnology “

5 Branches of Modern Technology

  1. Human biotechnology - use of biology to develop new products to improve human health and society

  2. Plant biotechnology - use of genetic engineering to modify or improve plants that are more resistant to pests, diseases, or environmental stresses

  3. Animal biotechnology - genetically redesign and modified genome of animals/manipulate their reproduction and development

  4. Environmental biotechnology - use of microorganisms and other biological agents that are beneficial to environment

  5. Industrial biotechnology - modern application for processing & production of chemical products, materials, and fuels

Uses and applications of biotechnology

  • it helped decipher the genome of the virus

  • approved vaccines are:

    1. Pfizer-BioNTech

    2. Oxford - AstraZeneca

    3. Moderna

    4. CoronaVac

    5. Covaxin

    6. Novavax

The Evolution of Biotechnology over the last century

  • 1919 - Karl Ereky termed biotechnology

  • 1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin, first true antibiotic

  • 1943 - Oswald Avery proves DNA

  • 1953 - James Watson & Francis Crick discovers double helix structure

  • 1960 - Insulin is developed

  • 1969 - enzyme in vitro is conducted

  • 1973 - Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen develop genetic engineering

  • 1980 - developed biotech drugs to treat cancer

  • 1890 - GMOs can be intellectual property

  • 1982 - Insulin becomes first genetically engineered product

  • 1983 - first genetically modified plant is introduced (resistance gene in tobacco). Developed by Michael W. Bevan, Richard B. Flavell and Mary-Dell Chilton.

  • 1993 - GMOs are introduced into agriculture

  • 1997 - first mammal is cloned (Dolly), produced by British developmental biologist Ian Wilmut and colleagues of the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, Scotland.

  • 1998 - Human Genome Project is created

  • 2010 - first synthetic cell is created

  • 2013 - first bionic eye is created

  • 2020 - MRNA vaccine and monoclonal antibody technology is used to treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

LESSON 1.2:

3 Distinct Phases of Biotechnology

  1. Ancient - ‘discoveries or development’; agriculture as ancient biotechnology

    • first direct product of biotechnology: cheese

    • example of crossbreeding: Mule

  2. Classical - Hungarian Kárl Ereky coined the word “biotechnology”- provide solutions to societal crises, such as food and energy shortages.

    • Discovery of penicillin

    • Fleming wrote, “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer.”-Penicillium prevented the growth of Staphylococcus aureus

  3. Modern - Present; the birth of genetic engineering

    • first synthetic antibiotic is created, Chloromycetin.

    • Green Revolution, intensive crop improvement was done with the imminent danger of famine

    • first vaccine for measles

    • monoclonal antibodies were developed

    • transgenic mice genetically modified so that they carry a green fluorescent protein that glows green

    • developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

    • Human Genome Project

    • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that genetically modified (GM) foods are “not inherently dangerous” and do not require special regulation.

    • 1995: The first vaccine for Hepatitis A is developed.

    • 1996: A gene associated with Parkinson’s disease is discovered.

    • 1996: The first genetically engineered crop is commercialized.

LESSON 1.3:

  • Climate change - long term shift in global and local weather patterns

  • Climate change mitigation - actions to reduce/ prevent greenhouse gas emissions from human activities

    ❑transitioning to renewable energy sources

    ❑enhancing energy efficiency

    ❑adopting regenerative agricultural practices

    ❑protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.

Current world population

  • As of Aug. 2024: 8,173,010, 020

  • 140 million babies per year

  • 4.3 births per second/ 259 per min.

  • 14th Country that has large population

  • Hunger - 15M children die of hungry every year

Green Revolution

  • research, development, and technology transfer initiatives that increase agriculture production around the world (irrigation, fertilizers, improved seeds, pesticides) 1940s and late 1970s

  • Normal Borlaug (Mexico), and Henry M Beachell (Phil)

  • IRRI predict that 800 million tons of rice will be required in 2025

71 Countries adopted biotech crops since 1996

  • 29 countries planting & importing

  • 42 importing biotech crops in Africa, Asia, and Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America

91% of total Biotech Crop Area in 2019 produced by

top 5 Biotech Mega Countries

  1. USA

  2. BRAZIL

  3. ARGENTINA

  4. CANADA

  5. INDIA

top 5 Biotech Crops

  1. Soybeans

  2. Maize

  3. Cotton

  4. Canola

  5. Alfalfa

  6. Others: Papaya, potatoes, apples, eggplant, squash

Current status: Philippines has been a pioneer within Asia in adopting biotechnology crops

  • Bt Cotton - recently approved as 4th GE crop

  • Corn - yr 2002

  • Rice - yr 2021

  • Eggplant - yr 2022

  • The Philippines ranked 12th among the 29 countries in the world that planted biotech crops in 2019.

  • In 2022, Philippines is the first country in the world to approve Golden Rice for commercial propagation.

  • Plant Breeding Innovations (PBIs), also referred to as New Plant Breeding Techniques (NBTs)

Regulatory Trials under DOST and DA

  1. Greenhouse evaluation (1996-1998)

  2. Confined field test (1998-2000)

  3. Multilocation (2000-2002)

Phases of Commercialization

  1. Approval 2002

  2. Exponential growth (2003-2010)

  3. Near saturation (2011-2020)

Economic Benefits of GM Corn Use in the Phil

  • productivity growth of country’s corn industry: 11.45% higher

  • total welfare gain reached $189.4 million

Golden Rice

  • genetically modified to produce beta-carotene

  • developed to combat vitamin A deficiency

  • Vit A deficiency can cause death and blindness to children

  • 2021, Phil became first country to approve the cultivation of golden rice (known as: malusog or healthy rice)

BT Talong

  • insect resistant eggplant

  • contains natural protein (Bacillus thuringiensis) which makes it resistant to eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB)

  • safe for humans, animals, & non target insects

  • potential impact: increase yield, reduce use of pesticide, increase income, positive impact to farmer’s health, reduce production cost

Other Biotech crops in the Pipeline

  1. Virus resistant, delayed ripening papaya - contained trial

  2. Virus resistant sweet potato - contained trial

  3. Insect resistant cotton - contained trial