Traditional & Modern Biotechnology Flashcards
What is Biotechnology?
The use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products
Research into which areas was the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on?
- Viral genome sequencing
- Spike protein
- Lipid nanoparticles
What are mRNA vaccines?
- Lipid nanoparticle containing mRNA
- Nanoparticle injected and mRNA delivered to human cells where mRNA is transcribed into protein
What are some traditional types of biotechnology (pre-1953)?
- Fermentation (cheese, beer, vinegar)
- Plants & Animal breeding/domestication
What are some modern types of biotechnology (post-1953)
- Recombinant DNA
- Genomics
- Cell structure
- Manipulation of living organisms
Who pioneered the concept that the gut microbiota can have beneficial effects on health?
Elie (Ilya) Metchnikoff
What is BLUE biotechnology?
The marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology
What is GREEN biotechnology?
Biotechnology applied to agricultural processes
What is RED biotechnology?
Biotechnology applied to medical processes
What is WHITE biotechnology?
Industrial biotechnology; biotechnology applied to industrial processes
When was recombinant human insulin (Humulin) first produced?
1978
What are Biologics?
Protein-based drugs
Most are anticlonal antibodies (mAb)
What are CAR T-Cell therapies used for?
Treating lymphoma and leukemia
When was CRISPR/Cas9 first discovered in bacteria?
1987
Where did corn originate?
Mexico ~12,000 years ago
What is a TNF?
Antibodies causing inflammatory response.
Too much can lead to disorders
What do Monoclonal Antibodies do?
They recognise one single antibody
What is CRISPR/Cas9?
A form of adaptive immunity to phage infection
What type of enzyme is Cas9?
A DNA endonuclease
(controls where DNA is cut)
What is the structure of CRISPR and what does it do?
Series of proteins that can force DNA repair
What does CAR-T do?
They target T-cells to attack cancer
How can we avoid rejection of foreign T-cells?
By knocking down expression of proteins that would be recognised to be foreign
How many people does malaria infect every year?
> 200 million
What is Artemisinin?
An antimalarial drug that reduced mortality between 20-30%
Who discovered Artemisinin?
Tu Youyou
What was Craig Ventner involved in?
Sequencing 2nd human genome
