Biotechnology (saylor.org)

Biotechnology is the application of biology and biological concepts to science and engineering. It is the crossroad of the biological sciences with other major disciplines of science, from organic chemistry to mechanical engineering. The earliest applications of biotechnology involve people of ancient civilizations using organisms to create bread and wine. The discovery of the Penicillium mold to combat infection is another famous example, as its production involved a specially designed fermentation process using microorganisms. Nowadays, scientists use almost all aspects of biology in their applications, from DNA to protein to cellular organelles. Living organisms, especially microorganisms, are thought of as biochemical machinery, able to be edited and changed to create new purposes. We could program them to create insulin for diabetes patients or to produce fuel for our cars. Biotechnology is nearly limitless in its applications.

As biotechnology is a very diverse topic, this course will introduce you to the major concepts shared by different fields and also explain some of the current major areas of biotechnology. We will discuss genetic engineering of plants and animals, as well as the current major medical, environmental, and agricultural applications of each. There are also a variety of topics that we will cover after this, from nanobiotechnology to environmental biotechnology. As each field has its own science and terminology beyond biology, there are many new concepts and terms to be learned, which can cause some difficulty for students, so be patient and don’t become overwhelmed.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify and describe the fields of biotechnology.

Compare and contrast forward and reverse genetics and the way they influence biodiversity.

Compare and contrast systemic studies of the genome, transcriptome, and proteome.

Explain how genome projects are performed, and discuss the completion and the information processing in these projects.

Describe and explain the principles of existing gene therapies.

Design strategies that support genetic counseling.

Explain and analyze DNA fingerprints, and compare DNA fingerprints to non-DNA biometrics.

Describe and compare bioremediation technologies in air, water, and soil.

Design strategies for generating genetically modified organisms, and discuss ethical concerns.

Discuss emerging fields in biotechnology.