Introduction to Biotechnology
Exploitation or application of biological systems (microbial, animal or plant cells or enzymes) to gain a useful product or service.
It mainly depends upon the expertise of biological systems in recognition and catalysis.
Historical background
•Ancient Egyptians
•Louis Pasteur who in the late 19th century
•In the early decades of the 20th century, large scale processes of lactic acid, acetone, butanol, ethanol, amylases and proteases and riboflavin were also developed.
•In 1914 activated sludge was developed
•One of the early strategic examples of modern products was the production of glycerol,
•In 1940 Antibiotics
•In 1980 Genetically engineered products or RecDNA products
•And hence the word biotechnologyCultures: (microbial, animal and plant)
Microbial cultures
•Microbial cultures are either obtained from culture collections e.g. American type culture collection (ATCC) or usually isolated (from soil, air ….etc.) by enrichment technique (maintain conditions that favor isolation of the required microorganism).
•In industry, microorganisms act like chemical factories. Those ones intended to be used in industry should be:
•1-Should be pure culture i.e. not contaminated with other species or low producing strains.
•2-Produce a large amount of the required product.
•3-Easily cultivated and maintained.
•4-Be genetically stable (low rate of mutation).
•5-Grow rapidly on inexpensive and readily available media.
•6-Produce the desired product under workable conditions (pH, O2 temperature,….etc.).
Culture maintenance
•Lyophilization(freeze drying): This is the best and most commonly used one.
•Storage under liquid nitrogen (at –150oC): kepin special tanks containing liquid nitrogen.
•Storage in glycerol at –70oC in deep freezers.
•Storage on agar slopes at –4oC
•Soil culture:
Raw materials (substrates) used for the growth and production in biotechnology
•Raw materials to be used for the cultivation of microorganisms in industry should be locally available (in nature or by-products from other industries).
•They must provide the required carbon, nitrogen, trace metals and energy source required by the microorganism. The raw materials should also provide the required precursor for the end product.
•The choice of the raw material for a given process depends on the process, production costs and availability of the raw material.
•In production of benzyl penicillin, the use of corn steep liquor has the advantage of providing the precursor of benzyl group side chain. If corn steep liquor is not used, a mixture of natural penicillinsis produced.
Characters of raw materials
1.Produce maximum yield of the product per gram substrate used.
2.Cheap and available 1ocally throughout the year.
3.Causes minimal problems during the fermentation, product separation and waste disposal.
4.Of definite composition and easily processed.
5.Easily transported and sterilized.
Starch and cellulose as substrate