Biotechnology

Biotechnology is science of manufacturing useful substances, chemicals. medicines by use of living organisms and their life process. In fact. biotechnology is not a new science. Alcohol was the first product manufactured by ancient biotechnologist.
In recent years, biotechnology is growing as a separate science - after recognizing its importance in many fields. It has attracted the attention of many intellectuals from diverse fields like agriculture, medicine, microbiology, organic chemistry besides a batch of industrial/chemical engineers. It is a multidisciplinary field wherein the principles of microbiology and chemistry are made useful to produce a useful substance by an undustrial process developed for specific situtions. Many more fields like molecular biology, genetic engineering, immunology have also added new folds of potentiality to biotechnology.
The scope for biotechnology is so wide that it is possible difficult to recognize the limits. Large number of microorganisms - large number of useful chemicals - great number of applications have made innumerable combinations of opportunities in the field of biotechnology.
Some areas of application of biotechnology include:
- Food industry - production of fermented / malted food.
- Diary industry - production of microbe assisted dairy products like yogurt, different types of cheese.
- average industry - production of wine, beer, whisky, etc.,
- Sewage treatment - To treat sewage water to purify.
- Organic acids like lactic, gluconic, acetic and citric acid.
- Production of enzymes for industrial and medicinal use.
- Production of vitamins.
- Production of medicines - antibiotics.
- Production of vaccines - against specific disease.
- Production of hormones - for human and animal welfare.
- Production of antibodies - against specific pathogens.
- Production of steroids - used as antifertility formulation.
Some of them draw special interest in modern world.
Transgenic Crop Products
- Soybean: Herbicide tolerant soybeans are the most widely adopted biotechnology product with wide range of processed food based on soybeans is available in the market like oil, flour, protein extracts etc. Approximately three fourth of the total soybean produced in USA was the GM soybean market is expected to be $ 811.7 millions in 2009. In Argentina, the majority of the productionis GM variety for total soybean production in the same year. It has been observed that countries active into GM crop production are the major contributors to the worldwide exports for soybean.
- Corn: The insect resistant and herbicide tolerant varieties are the commercial transgenic corn crops. GM corn was first adopted in Canada and USA in 1996 and is now also being considered for approval by EU governments. Argentina and USA are the major GM corn producers. According to Frost and Sullivan, the total revenu~ for total USA GM corn market are expected to be $ 1069.9 million for the year 2009. Japan and South Korea are the major importers of corn to which major part is contributed by the GM varieties.
- Cotton: BT c.otton, the insect resistant cotton, was first introduced in US, Mexico and Australia in 1995, and further adopted by other countries China India, Argentina, Indonesia and South Africa. According to Frost and Sullivan, the total revenues for total USA GM cotton market are expected to be $ 477.4 million for the year 2009. Glyphosate (Roundup-Ready Cotton) and bromoxynil (BXN cotton) are two herbicide tolerant cotton varieties. Herbicide tolerant cotton and soybeans, insect resistant corn and cotton accounts for most of the transgenic crop acreage. Other commercial transgenic crops include herbicide tolerant canola and com. The pest control problems associated with different countries have influenced the adoption of the cost effective BT cotton technology. A rapid adoption has been witnessed where farmers have faced the Bollworms with their property of high resistance to chemical pesticides as a primary pest problem.
- CanoIa: Its a major oil seed crop on which the biotechnological studies have been focused to improve the quality. Herbicide tolerant Canola, High Laurate content and High Oleic Acid content varieties are available worldwide. Canada. primarily the region of Western Canada is the principle producer for GM canola worldwide. Japan and China are the main importers for canola accounting to nearly half of total. For production, food and feed use, canola is already been approved in Japan, Australia, Canada and US.
- Tomato: Glyphosphate and glufosinate herbicide tolerance delayed ripening and salt resistant varieties were deve'loped. The delayed ripening variety was first GM food variety to be developed in industrial countries. They have been approved for food and feed purpose in Japan, Canada, Mexico and US.
Other Products : Genetically modified apple, mango, banana, pineapple, sweet potato, cocount, squash, sugar beet, papaya, potato, melon, cranberry, grapevine, kiwifruit, strawberries, raspberries, raspberries, cauliflower, cucumber, cassava, carrots, onions, barley, coffee etc. are other transgenic crops. Some of them are under research at various
institutes and are not yet commercially available in the market. Fungal disease (Scab) resistant, Bacterial disease (Fire blight) resistant and insect resistant varieties are under research in various universities in USA Apple also has been modified to incorporate .delayed ripening trait. GM mangos have been in development to incorporate delayed ripening traits and with improved flavor properties. Research is going on in different countries such as India, Africa, Indonesia, USA, Philippines and Indonesia for improving banana traits using biotechnology. GM bananas is in development with the traits like delayed ripening, fungal resistance, nematode resistance, and viral resistance. GM banana is also being modified to use as edible vaccine, carrying small portion of antigens to work against some dire diseases. Pineapples are also modified genetically to introduce pest and viral resistance, with delayed ripening trait. Important for livestock feed purpose, barley is under research to include traits such as fungal and viral resistance. Monsanto Co. and Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARl) have developed the virus resistant sweet potato, which is the first transgenic crop to be grown in Kenya.
GM Coconut is under research in various countries such as Philippines, India, Brazil, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Philippines plays an important role in the biotechnology research for coconut. Mainly virus resistant varieties of squash are available and in use within Canada and USA for food and feed purpose but they are very less in use. Sugar beet is a major source of sugar allowed for food and/or feed at Canada, USA, Japan and Australia. Mainly virus resistant varieties of papaya developed at University of Hawaii are available and are in use at Canada and USA for food and feed purpose. Insect resistant GM potato allowed for food and feed at Canada, Japan and US for food purpose and the virus resistant variety was approved only in Canada and US.
Tomato paste, new leaf potatoes and many others. Thus the agriculture research companies like Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta, Dow Agro, Bayer Crop Science and research institutes should have a more consumer- oriented approach in GM crop technology design introducing more tangible benefits for them. Other than consumer-oriented benefits, the research should be focussed on agronomic and environmental benefits. Harmonization of international standards and trade policies across all the countries is a must for the GM crop market growth and with that a internationally focussed public attitude comparison studies are required to better perceive the concerns raised by them and also it is important for a successful consumer-oriented approach.