Introduction to Biotechnology: Do you ever wonder where does the development of commercial products come from?

Commercial products such as your milk and cheese for your breakfast or your prescribe medicines that you take every hour. Do you ever wonder why the foods we eat are safer in the risk of allergy causing and why the crops are able to tolerate the different factors that are harmful for them like changes in temperature and dangerous substances of the soil. All the answers come from a branch of science called Biotechnology. What is biotechnology? Biotechnology can be derived from ancient Greek words it would be bio means life and techne means workmanship. So it means that biotechnology is the study and application of technology in life sciences. There are many definitions for biotechnology. According to Department of Food Science in North Carolina State University, they define biotechnology as using organisms or their products for commercial purposes. As for PAcontrol website they define it as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use." Even thou there are different definitions of biotechnology, it still reach one goal, to improve and develop organisms to use it in practical ways for the benefit of human beings. Biotechnology involves variety branches of science like cell and molecular biology, microbiology, genetics, physiology and biochemistry. It also integrates in areas of engineering and computer science. It also encompasses recombinant DNA
Page

technology for genetically manipulating organisms ranging from bacteria and fungi and
BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

to plants and animals. Using this kind of technology, scientists can obtain from impossible to possible things like modifying a specific organism.

Ancient Biotechnology: Where biotechnology does comes from? It all started ten thousand years ago, when the people in early agrarian societies practiced and learned how to plant crops and breed animals. They collected seeds of wild plants to cultivate them and domesticated the wild animals that they hunted. During their harvest time, the farmer collected seeds with most desirable traits and set them aside to be able to plant again the next year. They also did that to their animals, wherein they bred only the most prized. By this kind of practice of artificial selection, farmers progressively produced new varieties of plants and animals that had desirable traits that were found in wild species but were modified in other ways that were beneficial to humans. The discovery of fermentation also defined the beginning of biotechnology. The
Page

natural process involved microorganisms for the production of food and medicine. The

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

method included making cheese and yogurt from milk; converting fruit juices into wine; leavening bread; and making beer, which the Egyptians recorded as a prescription medicine in 1600 B.C. Archeologists reveal that these early practices has were around between 5,000 to 10,000 B.C.

Early agriculture focused on producing food. Plants and animals were selectively bred and microorganisms were used to make food items such as beverages, cheese and bread.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

History of Fermentation

The discovery that fruit juices fermented into wine or that milk could be converted into cheese or yogurt, or that beer could be made by fermenting solutions of malt and hops began the study of biotechnology. Fermentation comes from the Latin word fervere which means to boil. It is a microbial process in which enzymes control the transformations of organic compounds.

Bread was one of the earliest foods. Early humans probably chewed the raw grains and only later produce flour and dough for baking. Egyptians made their early loaves by filtering the flour through a strainer and then milled flour with water was mixed to form a paste and after it they added salt and molded into loaves. The earliest loaves, being unleavened were flat and dense like a pita bread and were cooked on a flat stone over a fire or baked in a clay oven.

Around 1800 BC, the Egyptians and Babylonians learned that old, uncooked fermented dough could be used to ferment a new batch of dough. Bakers no longer had to depend on chance of contamination for they would remove some flour from a batch in the mixing vessel and add to fresh flour. The resulting paste was used in the next days dough. The Egyptians used fermentation to make bread. Egypt and Mesopotamia exported the breads making to Greece and Rome. The Romans improved the technology and were able to produce lighter, leavened bread using yeast and skimmed from grain-malt wort. Grain-malt wort is a liquid prepared with malt that when fermented

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

produces alcohol. The Romans considered bread making as an art.

In 1857 to 1863, Pasteurs experiment made a connection between the role of the yeast and fermentation. Finally, between 1915 and 1920 the modern production of bakers yeast began.

Bread making in Ancient Egypt.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

Food Biotechnology

This is the study for the improvement of the food traits and production practices through the modern technology which enhances the quality, precision and speed of production of specific products. Food biotechnology played an integral part in the

industry today, through this products are modified in order to produce high-quality products which are obtained from food production and processing of raw materials obtained around the world. Some of this includes brewing, baking and fermenting of foods which was practiced for several thousand of years ago.

In the past practices, food biotechnology showed promising benefits in the industry such as increase in food and fiber production, reducing pesticide pollution, improving food, and providing new pharmaceuticals and bio-fuels for the future. Also through this technology, the industry is goaled towards higher nutritional value of food, improved traditional and complex new processes, and lower energy consumption, and

food-grade microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

better waste management, complex utilization of raw materials and improvement of

Genetically-modified Foods:

The truth is that we have been eating genetically modified (GM) foods for a decade. This includes crackers, breakfast cereals, and cooking oils. Almost everything that contains soy or cornincluding the nearly ubiquitous high fructose corn syruphas been genetically modified.

The first Genetically-Modified food produced was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994. It was publicized for its flavor and long shelf life. Interestingly, the Flavr Savr tomato did not contain an alien gene; rather, a gene normally present in the tomato was blocked so that a normal protein involved in ripening was not produced giving the tomato a longer shelf life and, theoretically, better flavor. The tomatoes that were produces released in the market in 1994 without any special labeling. But even it possessed good qualities it failed to attract consumers.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

In February 1996, J. Sainsbury and Safeway Stores in the United Kingdom introduced Europe's first genetically-modified food product. A variant of the Flavr Savr was used by Zeneca to produce tomato paste which was sold in Europe during the summer of 1996. Following GM crops included insect resistant cotton and herbicidetolerant soybeans both of which were commercially available in 1996. Here are the top 10 common genetically modified foods:

Cotton - Resistant to certain pesticides - considered a food because the oil can be consumed. The introduction of genetically engineered cotton plants has had an unexpectedly effect on Chinese agriculture. The so-called Bt cotton plants that produce a chemical that kills the cotton bollworm have not only reduced the incidence of the pest in cotton fields, but also in neighboring fields of corn, soybeans, and other crops.

Tomatoes - Made for a longer shelf life and to prevent a substance that causes tomatoes to rot and degrade.

Papaya - The ring spot virus was a big problem for the Hawaiian papaya industry for

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

many years, until the 1980s, when they began to experiment with genetically modified

versions that were resistant to the virus. It was the addition of the "viral capsid" protein that created the effect of an immune response.

Rice - rice is being experimented on to make it more resistant to pests. And since rice is the staple food for more than half of the world's population, it's a pretty big deal to keep the rice crops of the world healthy as an important part of preventing starvation.

Potato - three-quarters of all the potatoes grown in Europe are used for something other than your dinner plate. Many of the other potatoes are fed to livestock, and the rest are for the alcohol and starch industries. That's a lot of vodka and dry cleaned shirts.

Corn - One of the more famous types of GM corn, Bt-corn, was developed to produce a poison that wards off the European corn borer. However, a Cornell study found that the corn killed or damaged monarch butterfly larvae that feed on corn pollen-covered milkweed.

Soy - In 2007, more than half of the world's soy was made up of genetically modified strains. Soy is modified for a variety of purposes. Common modifications include increasing its resistance to insects and fungus, as well as enriching its vitamins or fat and protein content so it can be used for animal feed. Soy is also integral to creating chemicals for use in pharmaceuticals.

Milk - One of the most controversial GM foods is rBGH, or recombinant bovine growth

produces higher milk yields by keeping milk-producing cells alive in cows for longer than
BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

hormone. The hormone, which is synthesized from genetically modified bacteria,

normal. Though there's no official difference between rBGH milk and regular milk, critics point out that rBGH cows are more prone to disease, which means higher concentrations of bovine antibiotics filtering down into the milk supply.

Canola Oil - also known as rapeseed oil is one of the most heavily used genetically modified crops. In Western Canada, 80 percent of canola crops are transgenic. In this case, rapeseed is modified to be more resistant to certain herbicides. This results in easier weed control, lower pesticide use and larger crops. However, there are also concerns that GM rapeseed could transfer its resistance to the pests around it, which would result in the pesticides being useless.

Aspartame - is an artificial sweetener that's about 200 times as potent as sugar. Although it's technically an artificial substance and doesn't occur in nature, aspartame is the result of a combination of two natural amino acids. Two different species of bacteria produce these acids, and in some cases, one of the bacteria is modified in order to boost the yield.

Photos of Genetically-modified foods:

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

10

Are genetically-modified foods safe?

A lot of food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients and we lack knowledge about this. Genetically modified foods could really provide alternatives to help increase food production. However, there is a growing wave of concern from citizens, farmers and scientists also who question, are Genetically-modified foods safe?" This is where the problem lies.

The numbers of ethical concerns over genetically modified (GM) foods and these have all affected public support of the products. These concerns range from the environment to risks to our food web or issues concerning disease, allergies and contamination.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

11

A key ethical concern about GM foods is a possibility to trigger allergies or disease in humans. How? By extracting a gene from an allergenic organism and placed into another one that could lead to an allergic reaction. Another fear in allergies is that new allergies could occur from the mixing of genes from two organisms. This could also be applied in diseases. New disease may occur in humans who consume the GM food. With some GM crops having antibiotic-resistant marker genes, there is also the worry that these genes could be passed on to microbes that cause disease and health problems in humans. With widespread antibiotic resistance currently already occurring, any new resistance could prove disastrous. Another fear with regards to GM crops is about damage to the environment. Unfortunately, the technology is still new enough that there is much we do not know about the effect of GM crop production on the environment. Long-term studies take decades to complete and most studies of GM crop production involve short-term effects of the technology. Another fear is that if these crops do negative impact to the

environment that may cause spread in an out-of-control rage and we may not be able to stop the damaging effects. Genetically-modified foods can also affect the food web. Example if an animal consume a GM crop that has been engineered to produce a pesticide, the animal may become ill and worst die. In one North American study, caterpillars of the monarch group were killed when they fed on pollen from GM corn crops. Foods that were genetically-modified may result in a losing a valuable nutrient or element that could prevent disease. An engineer might extract a gene that causes what
BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

12

they consider to be an undesirable trait, but this particular trait may actually prove to have a valuable role in preventing a disease such as cancer, for example.

There are ethical concerns about GM foods but if we avoid them on moral or ethical grounds there is much bigger moral or ethical problem: global starvation. These factors, such as the lower number of people globally employed in agriculture, will trigger a perfect storm which could see millions go hungry, or rather millions more go hungry.

Then what are we supposed to do if we are torn between problems? There are still many issues, concern and questions that are needed to find out about Geneticallymodified food. But in the near future, through the perseverance of scientist to improve daily lives, all these ethical concerns and issues will lead to an answer. Like the scientific method, GM foods are open to question, but it is in our own interest to not cover ourselves in our ambiguous beliefs and not to just believe anecdotes or popular wisdom when the advice of experts is available.

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

Page

13

Book Sources: Barnuan, Susan R., Introduction to Biotechnology (California: Thomson Learning Inc., 2005) Digumarti Bhaskara Rao, Harshita and K.R.S. Sambasina Rao, Advanced Boitechnology (New Delhi, India: Discovery Publishing House, 1999) Buttel, F. H., and R.M. Goodman, Eds. "Of Frankenfoods and Golden Rice: Risks, Rewards, and Realities of Genetically Modified Foods." Madison: Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 2001. Lawrence Busch and John R. Lloyd, What Can Nanotechnology Learn from Biotechnology? (Burlington, USA: Elsevier Inc.,2008)

Internet Sources: Shah, Anup. Genetically Engineered Food (http://www.globalissues.org/issue/188/genetically-engineered-food). September 2002. Butcher, Mavis. Genetically Modified Food GM Foods List and Information (http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php#ixzz1pCR0e1rm). September 2009 Emilie Sennenbogen and Gallagher Flinn. 10 common Genetically Modified Foods (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/5-common-genetically-modified-foods10.htm). 2012 Hedley, Steven. GM Food and its Ethical Problems (http://philosophycompass.com/2011/01/26/gm-food-and-its-ethical-problems/). January 2011 Murnagham, Ian. Ethical Concern and GM Foods (http://www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/ethical-concerns-gm-foods.html). December 2010 Ann Murphy and Judi Perella. Overview and Brief History of Biotechnology (http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1993/intro.html). 1993
Page

Emerson, Peter. History of Biotechnology (http://ezinearticles.com/?History-ofBiotechnology&id=354562). November 2006

BIOTECHNOLOGY
(FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY GENETICALLY-M ODIFIED FOODS )

14