Author Profile

Professor Mayfield joined the University of Melbourne from the University of Queensland where she is a Professor of Ecology and Head of the School of Biological Sciences, currently ranking among the 20 best universities in the world for ecology. Originally from the US, Professor Mayfield has developed a large and thriving research group focused on plant and insect community ecology in Australia. She completed her PhD in biology in 2005 from Stanford University, with a focus on plant ecology and conservation, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Santa Barbara before commencing at UQ in 2007. An accomplished researcher, Professor Mayfield has a track record of sustained research funding, including six ARC Discovery grants, two ARC Linkage grants and an ARC Future Fellowship over the last decade.

About The Book

Modern applications of biotechnology work most often through genetic engineering, which is also known as recombinant DNA technology. Genetic engineering works by modifying or interacting with the genetic cell structures. Every cell in an animal or plant contains genes that produce proteins. It's those proteins that determine the characteristics of the organism. By modifying or interacting with genes, scientists can strengthen the characteristics of an organism or create an entirely new organism. These modified and new organisms may be beneficial to humans, such as crops with higher yields or increased resistance to drought. Genetic engineering also enables the genetic modification and cloning of animals, two controversial developments. Biotechnology can be defined as the manipulation of biological process, systems, and organisms in the production of various products. With applications in a number of fields such as biomedical, chemical, mechanical, and civil engineering, research on the development of biologically inspired materials is essential to further advancement. Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving discipline that focuses on modifying biological organisms for manufacturing useful commodities. This book unravels the recent studies in the field of molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and applications of biotechnology in medicine, agriculture and other scientific fields. It elucidates new techniques and their applications in a multidisciplinary approach. For all those who are interested in biotechnology, this comprehensive book can prove to be an essential guide. Biotechnology: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source for the latest research findings on the application of biotechnology in medicine, engineering, agriculture, food production, and other areas. It also examines the economic impacts of biotechnology use. Highlighting a range of topics such as pharmacogenomics, biomedical engineering, and bioinformatics, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for engineers, pharmacists, medical professionals, practitioners, academicians, and researchers interested in the applications of biotechnology.

Table of Contents

Preface v
Chapter 1. Introduction to Biotechnology........................................................... 1
ƒ Definition and Scope of Biotechnology.................................................... 3
ƒ Historical Background and Milestones.....................................................10
ƒ Traditional vs Modern Biotechnology......................................................17
ƒ Explain Agriculture, Health, and Industry............................................... 23
ƒ Role in Sustainable Development........................................................... 27
Chapter 2. Molecular Biology Foundations.......................................................32
ƒ DNA Structure and Function.................................................................... 33
ƒ Genes and Genetic Code..........................................................................39
ƒ Genetic Mutations and Repair Mechanisms...........................................45
ƒ RNA Types and Their Functions...............................................................49
ƒ Operon Concept and General Structure................................................. 57
Chapter 3. Genetic Engineering......................................................................... 62
ƒ Recombinant DNA Technology................................................................63
ƒ Cloning Vectors and Plasmids..................................................................67
ƒ Restriction Enzymes and DNA Ligase.......................................................71
ƒ Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)...........................................................76
ƒ Cdna Synthesis and Library ..................................................................... 81
Chapter 4. Cell and Tissue Culture..................................................................... 87
ƒ Plant Tissue Culture..................................................................................88
ƒ Media Preparation and Sterilization........................................................92
ƒ Somatic Embryogenesis and Organogenesis..........................................99
ƒ Applications in Micropropagation..........................................................105
ƒ Hybridoma Technology and Monoclonal Antibodies............................ 110
Chapter 5. Genomics and Proteomics...............................................................116
ƒ Human Genome Project Overview......................................................... 117
ƒ Functional and Structural Genomics...................................................... 122
ƒ Basics of Proteomics and Protein Structure.......................................... 127
ƒ 2D Gel Electrophoresis and Mass Spectrometry....................................132
ƒ Transcriptomics and Metabolomics.......................................................139
Contents
Chapter 6. Bioinformatics.................................................................................146
ƒ Defination, History and Goals of Bioinformatics....................................147
ƒ Biological Databases ..............................................................................152
ƒ Sequence Alignment (Blast, Fasta)........................................................158
ƒ Phylogenetic Tree Construction.............................................................163
ƒ Structural Bioinformatics....................................................................... 168
Chapter 7. Microbial Biotechnology................................................................. 175
ƒ Role of Microorganisms in Industry.......................................................176
ƒ Fermentation Technology...................................................................... 180
ƒ Antibiotic and Enzyme Production.........................................................185
ƒ Microbial Genetics .................................................................................. 191
ƒ Single Cell Protein (SCP)........................................................................ 196
Chapter 8. Agricultural Biotechnology............................................................202
ƒ Genetically Modified Crops.................................................................... 203
ƒ Genetic Engineering Techniques...........................................................208
ƒ Biofertilizers and Biopesticides.............................................................. 212
ƒ Stress Tolerance in Plants.......................................................................218
ƒ Tissue Culture in Crop Improvement......................................................222
Chapter 9. Animal Biotechnology.....................................................................227
ƒ Cloning in Animals (Dolly the Sheep).................................................... 229
ƒ Applications in Veterinary Medicine...................................................... 234
ƒ Animal Genomics and Genetic Testing..................................................240
ƒ Embryo Transfer and Artificial Insemination.........................................246
ƒ Xenotransplantation...............................................................................251
Chapter 10. Environmental Biotechnology......................................................257
ƒ Bioremediation and Its Types................................................................ 258
ƒ Biodegradable Plastics...........................................................................264
ƒ Bioleaching and Biomining.................................................................... 270
ƒ Carbon Sequestration Technologies..................................................... 276
ƒ Climate Change Mitigation.....................................................................281
Bibliography................................................................................................287
Index........................................................................................................... 294