(August 2004) Biotechnology is the application of scientific and engineering principles to process biological materials for goods and services. Biotechnology is, therefore, highly multidisciplinary with foundations in many fields including cell and molecular biology, physiology, immunology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry and chemical and process engineering. Figure 1. The biotechnology tree. Biotechnologists uses techniques derived from a variety of disciplines (fig. 1). Their main objectives are the innovation, development and optimal operation of processes in which biochemical catalysis plays a fundamental role. Biotechnology relies on each contributing discipline to better understand the technical language, potential and limitations of other areas. Historically, biotechnology…

(August 2004) Design solutions can draw inspiration from many sources, including the anatomy, physiology, and behaviour of living systems. For instance, many Aboriginal Alaskans stalk seals in a similar fashion to the way polar bears hunt the smaller marine mammals [1]. Industry also imitates nature: Joseph Paxton used the structure of a lily pad as inspiration to design the Crystal Palace in 18512, and it is well-known that the Wright brothers were avid bird watchers, and their airplane wing design was modeled after birds [1]. In recent times, scientists have begun to take more ideas from nature, as was common…

(August 2004) Stem cells have generated more excitement, scrutiny and controversy than any other area of recent scientific study. The first stem cells, which were discovered half a century ago, were isolated from blood. Now, scientists around the globe are researching various types of stem cells for their potential to regenerate lost tissue and revolutionize medicine. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from the embryo when it exists as a blastocyst. They have the ability to develop into all the different cell types found in the body. Actually, when a sperm fertilizes an egg, the resulting single cell begins to…

(August 2003) Food spoilage has been an important problem throughout human history. Finding ways to overcome this problem was crucial as communities became larger and individuals no longer grew their own food. Some kind of system was needed to maintain the nutrient content of various food stuffs for long periods of time and prevent them from rotting and becoming inedible. Early solutions to food spoilage Food spoilage is caused by the growth of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and fungi, that convert nutrients into energy which they use for their own growth. Depletion of the nutrient content of food as well as…

(August 2004) Beer was created in 2000 B.C. when Egyptians first discovered how to ferment yeast. In 500 B.C., the Chinese invented a crude antibiotic from moldy soybeans curds and used it treat boils. These discoveries indicate an early human awareness of biology’s usefulness in creating medical and agricultural advances and for over four thousand years the industry of biotechnology has flourished, growing into a multibillion-dollar cutting edge industry over the last 30 years. The biotechnology revolution was heralded by two cornerstone discoveries: recombinant DNA and hybridomas1. Lucrative product applications had an immediate impact on industrial and agricultural developments, but…

(August 2003) “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana “In the realm of bioethics, the evils we face are intertwined with the goods we so keenly seek. Distinguishing good and bad thus intermixed is often extremely difficult.” — Leon R. Kass MD, PhD Chairman, The President’s Council on Bioethics Since the announcement that the entire human DNA genome had been sequenced in June 2000, newspapers around the world have been rife with proclamations describing how this information is being used for the prevention and treatment of genetic disorders. Among the most promising and…

(August 2004) Aging can be characterized as: (1) an inevitable consequence of being a multicellular organism; (2) associated with a random, passive decline in function; (3) leading to a global loss of homeostasis (the state of sustained equilibrium in which all cells, and all life forms, exist) over time; and (4) mortality increasing with age [1]. Age is not a disease, but it does predispose an organism to a variety of diseases [2], in the case of humans, this includes heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Achieving longevity is thought to be caused by a combination of factors.…

(August 2004) With the advent of the human genome project, a vast amount of information about genes and gene structure is suddenly at our fingertips. But this information is limited. Every cell within an organism has the same genetic composition (with the exception of its gametes), and yet, obviously skin tissue is very different from nervous tissue. The DNA sequence cannot provide information about these differences, which represent the next level of complexity and organization within an organism: DNA expression. Cells within a multicellular organism, such as ourselves, specialize to perform specific functions to increase the efficiency of the organism.…