Question

The applications of biotechnology include

• A. All of the above
• B. Industrial scale production of biopharmaceuticals and biologicals using genetically modified microbes, fungi, plants and animals
• C. Genetically modified crops for agriculture, processed food, waste treatment and energy production
• D. Therapeutics, diagnostics and bioremediation

Answer 1

The correct option is A All of the above

The branch of biology that uses living organisms and their derivatives to produce products and processes using advanced technology that is beneficial to human beings is called biotechnology.

Biotechnology has influenced life in various ways as follows:

• Agriculture
• Recombinant therapeutics
• Molecular diagnosis
• Gene therapy
• Transgenic animals

Using rDNA technology, many biologicals and biopharmaceuticals are being produced using microbes, fungi, plants, animals etc. For example, E. coli produces insulin, Brassica napus produces hirudin.

Various medically important products such as vaccines, hormones, enzymes are produced by recombinant DNA technology by using microorganisms or eukaryotic cells. Few of the important therapeutics approved in India are insulin hormone (for diabetes mellitus), Hepatitis B vaccine etc.

Molecular diagnosis is a popular method to detect and diagnose various ailments at molecular scale. Some of the examples include:

• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique can be used to detect infection even before the appearance of symptoms, by amplifying the nucleic acids of the pathogen. It is used to detect AIDS.
• ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) technique is used to detect the presence of antigens or antibodies by antigen-antibody interactions.
• Autoradiography is used to detect certain sequences of nucleic acids, with the help of radiolabeled probes. For example, detection of mutations in the genetic material.

Bioremediation is the branch of biotechnology that aims to reduce the pollution and contamination of the environment using biological entities and technology. It is carried out by microorganisms (Pseudomonas putida for clearing oil spills) and plants (phytoremediation to clear heavy metals).

Biotechnology has a remarkable impact on agriculture. It aims in developing the following attributes in GMOs:

• Resistance to pests.
• Tolerant of abiotic stresses.
• Improved nutritional value.
• Reduction in:
  • Post harvest losses
  • Requirement for chemical pesticides etc.

For example, Bt cotton is resistant to insect pests like Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera. This has indirectly helped the farmers to increase the yield from cotton plants.

Hence the correct option is
d. All of the above