Biotechnology

Biotechnology applies biology to make useful products.

• Fields include medicine, agriculture, and industry.
• Careers span research, quality control, and manufacturing.
• Practices follow GLP/GMP (good laboratory/manufacturing practice).
• The industry is heavily regulated and documentation-driven.

Biotech drives modern medicine.

• Produces insulin, vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies.
• Enables gene therapy and personalized medicine.
• Diagnostic tools detect disease at the molecular level.
• CRISPR allows precise gene editing.

Agencies ensure biotech products are safe.

• The FDA regulates drugs and medical products.
• The EPA and USDA oversee environmental and agricultural biotech.
• Products undergo testing and approval before release.
• Ethics and safety guide regulation.

Lab skills are the foundation of biotech work.

• Use micropipettes, balances, and centrifuges accurately.
• Prepare solutions and follow aseptic technique.
• Keep detailed lab notebooks.
• Follow safety and measurement standards.

Growing cells and microbes is central to biotech.

• Sterile technique prevents contamination.
• Microbes are grown on media in controlled conditions.
• Cell culture grows cells outside the organism.
• Used to produce proteins and study biology.

Analyzing DNA is a core biotech skill.

• DNA is a double helix of paired bases (A-T, G-C).
• Gel electrophoresis separates DNA by size.
• Restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sites.
• Sequencing reads the order of bases.

Transformation inserts new DNA into bacteria.

• Bacteria take up plasmids carrying desired genes.
• Cells are made competent to accept DNA.
• Selectable markers (e.g., antibiotic resistance) identify success.
• Used to mass-produce proteins like insulin.

PCR amplifies tiny amounts of DNA.

• Uses cycles of heating and cooling to copy DNA.
• Needs primers, DNA polymerase (Taq), and nucleotides.
• Doubles DNA each cycle, making millions of copies.
• Used in diagnostics, forensics, and research.

Proteins are analyzed to understand and use them.

• Proteins fold into shapes that determine function.
• Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) separates proteins by size.
• Chromatography purifies proteins.
• Function depends on structure and the active site.

The immune system's tools are used in biotech.

• Antibodies bind specific antigens.
• ELISA detects and measures proteins.
• Monoclonal antibodies are used as drugs and diagnostics.
• These methods power tests and therapies.