Advantages and Disadvantages of Biotechnology

According to the 1991 Office of Technology Assessment, Biotechnology is any technique that uses living organisms or the organism parts to produce or modify a specific product, to improve plants or animals, or even for microorganisms' development to particular uses. The technology has been the critical aspect of developing and implementing processes for the manufacture of antibiotics, industrial sugars, pharmaceuticals, amino acids, sugars, organic acids, foods, and other unique products. The methods use the applications of microbiology, enzymes, fermentation, animal cells, and separation procedures. In the past years, there has been a vast development in biotechnology. The biomolecules have mostly been in use in biochemistry, chemistry, biology, medical chemistry, and gene technology departments.

Introduction

Biotechnology is a new science which goes hand in hand with the Agricultural sector. Some sources define it as a group of technologies with two common aspects. The two features are working with molecules of living cells and extensive use of processes that lead to change and improvement in the lives of people. The method uses organisms and their products for a commercial purpose. Biotechnology, before, has been practiced by people in diverse ways such as baking, alcohol brewing, and crop and animal breeding. Modern developments in molecular biology have led to new changes in the biotechnology department (Akoh, 2017). The new biotechnology has been attended by the whole world as it has several effects on the economy of the nation and society. This article will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of Biotechnology, the biotechnological concepts and techniques, and legal and ethical constraints of biotechnology.

Biotechnological concepts and Techniques

Several powerful biotechnologies were developed in the mid-1970's and 80's. The techniques laid a base for the foundation of the “new biotech” or “Molecular Biotech.”  The recombinant DNA is a technique is about the DNA recombination. When reproduction in the cells takes place, the double helix DNA strands separate. Nucleotide A pairs with T, and G pairs with C making each strand assume the role of a precise blueprint for a particular protein. In a single cell, there is information for replication into many cells which are identical, except for mutations or an error during replication. Since all the organisms are made up of a similar genetic material type, biotechnologists apply enzymes to cut and remove segments of the DNA from one body and merge it with the DNA of another organism. The recombinant DNA process is one of the modern biotechnology techniques. After recombination, the recombinant DNA is inserted into the body of a living organism. The technology is mostly used with genetic engineering. Through this technique, researchers can move genetic information between plants that are not related thus producing desired characteristics or eliminate undesirable traits (Akoh, 2017).

Genetic engineering, according to Agarwala et al. (2017), is a technique that entails the removal, modification, or addition of genes to a molecule of DNA. The altering of the molecule changes the information contained in it. Through the change of data, genetic engineering has led to a change in the type and amount of proteins an organism can produce. In today’s world, genetic engineering is used widely in drug production, therapy of human gene, and in development of improved-plants. An example of where the technique is used is in “insect protection” gene, where insertion has taken place in plants like corn, cotton, and potatoes. From this technique, farmers have gained more knowledge in integrated pest management. Insect protection gene resists the European corn borer. The resistance minimizes the use of pesticides by farmers during the control of European corn. Less chemical is required thus a high yield of Agricultural Biotechnology.

            Cell fusion is another technique that has led to monoclonal antibodies development. When the mouse cancer cells are fully grown, they are fused to mouse immune lymphocytes that are responsible for the production of antibodies, leading to the creation of hybrid myeloma cell called hybridoma and has the characteristics of both the parent cells.  Monoclonal antibodies have led to a new revolution in medical diagnostic testing. Research has shown that in vivo, cell fusion helps in maintenance of adults’ homeostasis through intrinsic regeneration. In recent years, this technique has played a role in revealing the molecular mechanisms involving epigenetic reprogramming of stomach cells into iPS cells and demethylation of DNA. The new fusion techniques have helped in discoveries in the genetic and epigenetic engineering of the genome department (Okafor & Okeke, 2017). Cell fusion is also used in stem cell biology. It is a proposed to be an essential mechanism for explaining the plasticity or trans-differentiation of mammalian cells in recent studies. The technique is one of the membrane fusion forms that are observed in nature. It has been observed in culture dishes and mammals.

Cell fusion produces abundant energy where fusion atoms together in a controlled manner release about four million times more energy than a chemical reaction. Fusion can produce the base-hold energy required to provide electricity to cities and industries. Fusion fuels are available and almost inexhaustible. Deuterium can be distilled from all water forms while thorium can be produced during the fusion reaction during the interaction of lithium and fusion neutrons.                                     

Bioprocess is another biotechnology technique. It is any process that involves the use of intact living cells to obtain desired products through a process called fermentation. The process consists of conversing substrates to the desired outcome using biological agents like microorganisms (Agarwala et al., 2017). The technique is widely used for the production of microbial products in large-scale.

According to Okafor & Okeke (2017), the Structure-Based Molecular Design is a technique that deals with the creation of molecules with different properties. The process includes classic approaches for natural products synthesis, development of sophisticated copies for molecular acceptance, and innovative enzymes inhibitors and the advance in the determination of molecular structure and computational resources has led to the generation of new pharmaceuticals.

Even though biotechnology has advantages, its funding is minimal in comparison to other federal expenditures. There is a need for more components like recombinant bovine growth hormone that is used in the increment of milk in cows. It will create cost-effective and unknown markets for diverse products of pharmaceutical. In the department of agriculture, applications of manipulation of genes are high, but there is no broad assessment of the general impact that has been made because both the recombinant animals and the plants have not been marketed.

Most of the ethical issues that face the modern industry has to some extent been addressed for the past 13 years with recombinant DNA. The emergent issues have been about human gene engineering and permanent alteration of the germline. In present days, human genetic engineering is in its execution stage (Akoh, 2017).

Conclusion

It is clear that Biotechnology has played and is playing a prominent role in the world of biology. The claim by biologists that they hold the solution to the crisis in the society today is correct. They have played a role in changing the medicine departments, brewing, and breeding. There have been proposals for somatic cell gene therapy. They involve cell treatment of individuals to insert a critical gene that is missing or has a defect.  The fact that only specific cells of an individual can be treated is the only major factor in somatic cell gene therapy.

References

Agarwala, R., Barrett, T., Beck, J., Benson, D. A., Bollin, C., Bolton, E., ... & Charowhas, C. (2017). Database Resources of the National Center for Biotechnology. Nucleic acids research, 45(D 1), D12-D17.

Akoh, C. C. (Ed.). (2017). Food lipids: chemistry, nutrition, and biotechnology. CRC press.

Okafor, N., & Okeke, B. C. (2017). Modern industrial microbiology and biotechnology. CRC Press.