123-552: " Candidatus " Midichloriaceae is a family of bacteria , included in the order Rickettsiales . No member of this family has been cultured in the laboratory, so the entire family has been given the status candidatus . This Alphaproteobacteria -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bacterium See § Phyla Bacteria ( / b æ k ˈ t ɪər i ə / ; sg. : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell . They constitute
246-491: A herbicide ), reduction of spoilage, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents , biofuels , and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation . Farmers have widely adopted GM technology. Between 1996 and 2011, the total surface area of land cultivated with GM crops had increased by a factor of 94, from 17,000 to 1,600,000 square kilometers (4,200,000 to 395,400,000 acres). 10% of
369-406: A nucleus and rarely harbour membrane -bound organelles . Although the term bacteria traditionally included all prokaryotes, the scientific classification changed after the discovery in the 1990s that prokaryotes consist of two very different groups of organisms that evolved from an ancient common ancestor . These evolutionary domains are called Bacteria and Archaea . The word bacteria
492-474: A plasmid vector inserted into the bacterium Escherichia coli . Insulin, widely used for the treatment of diabetes, was previously extracted from the pancreas of abattoir animals (cattle or pigs). The genetically engineered bacteria are able to produce large quantities of synthetic human insulin at relatively low cost. Biotechnology has also enabled emerging therapeutics like gene therapy . The application of biotechnology to basic science (for example through
615-543: A potential difference analogous to a battery. The general lack of internal membranes in bacteria means these reactions, such as electron transport , occur across the cell membrane between the cytoplasm and the outside of the cell or periplasm . However, in many photosynthetic bacteria, the plasma membrane is highly folded and fills most of the cell with layers of light-gathering membrane. These light-gathering complexes may even form lipid-enclosed structures called chlorosomes in green sulfur bacteria . Bacteria do not have
738-404: A terminal electron acceptor in a redox reaction . Chemotrophs are further divided by the types of compounds they use to transfer electrons. Bacteria that derive electrons from inorganic compounds such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide , or ammonia are called lithotrophs , while those that use organic compounds are called organotrophs . Still, more specifically, aerobic organisms use oxygen as
861-698: A Unified Database System) database is intended to help companies, interested private users and competent authorities to find precise information on the presence, detection and identification of GMOs used in the European Union . The information is provided in English. In 1988, after prompting from the United States Congress , the National Institute of General Medical Sciences ( National Institutes of Health ) (NIGMS) instituted
984-744: A bacterial strain. However, liquid growth media are used when the measurement of growth or large volumes of cells are required. Growth in stirred liquid media occurs as an even cell suspension, making the cultures easy to divide and transfer, although isolating single bacteria from liquid media is difficult. The use of selective media (media with specific nutrients added or deficient, or with antibiotics added) can help identify specific organisms. Most laboratory techniques for growing bacteria use high levels of nutrients to produce large amounts of cells cheaply and quickly. However, in natural environments, nutrients are limited, meaning that bacteria cannot continue to reproduce indefinitely. This nutrient limitation has led
1107-461: A bacterium (of the genus Pseudomonas ) capable of breaking down crude oil, which he proposed to use in treating oil spills. (Chakrabarty's work did not involve gene manipulation but rather the transfer of entire organelles between strains of the Pseudomonas bacterium). The MOSFET invented at Bell Labs between 1955 and 1960, Two years later, Leland C. Clark and Champ Lyons invented
1230-438: A child's parentage (genetic mother and father) or in general a person's ancestry . In addition to studying chromosomes to the level of individual genes, genetic testing in a broader sense includes biochemical tests for the possible presence of genetic diseases, or mutant forms of genes associated with increased risk of developing genetic disorders. Genetic testing identifies changes in chromosomes , genes, or proteins. Most of
1353-413: A consortium could be used as industrial microbes to produce precursors of the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel by applying the metabolic engineering in a co-culture approach to exploit the benefits from the two microbes. Another example of synthetic biology applications in industrial biotechnology is the re-engineering of the metabolic pathways of E. coli by CRISPR and CRISPRi systems toward
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#17327984517761476-424: A disorganised slime layer of extracellular polymeric substances to a highly structured capsule . These structures can protect cells from engulfment by eukaryotic cells such as macrophages (part of the human immune system ). They can also act as antigens and be involved in cell recognition, as well as aiding attachment to surfaces and the formation of biofilms. The assembly of these extracellular structures
1599-422: A drug's efficacy or toxicity . The purpose of pharmacogenomics is to develop rational means to optimize drug therapy, with respect to the patients' genotype , to ensure maximum efficacy with minimal adverse effects . Such approaches promise the advent of " personalized medicine "; in which drugs and drug combinations are optimized for each individual's unique genetic makeup. Biotechnology has contributed to
1722-413: A few micrometres in thickness to up to half a metre in depth, and may contain multiple species of bacteria, protists and archaea. Bacteria living in biofilms display a complex arrangement of cells and extracellular components, forming secondary structures, such as microcolonies , through which there are networks of channels to enable better diffusion of nutrients. In natural environments, such as soil or
1845-415: A few species are visible to the unaided eye—for example, Thiomargarita namibiensis is up to half a millimetre long, Epulopiscium fishelsoni reaches 0.7 mm, and Thiomargarita magnifica can reach even 2 cm in length, which is 50 times larger than other known bacteria. Among the smallest bacteria are members of the genus Mycoplasma , which measure only 0.3 micrometres, as small as
1968-426: A fixed size and then reproduce through binary fission , a form of asexual reproduction . Under optimal conditions, bacteria can grow and divide extremely rapidly, and some bacterial populations can double as quickly as every 17 minutes. In cell division, two identical clone daughter cells are produced. Some bacteria, while still reproducing asexually, form more complex reproductive structures that help disperse
2091-410: A food source into another form. Before the time of Charles Darwin 's work and life, animal and plant scientists had already used selective breeding. Darwin added to that body of work with his scientific observations about the ability of science to change species. These accounts contributed to Darwin's theory of natural selection. For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to improve
2214-417: A funding mechanism for biotechnology training. Universities nationwide compete for these funds to establish Biotechnology Training Programs (BTPs). Each successful application is generally funded for five years then must be competitively renewed. Graduate students in turn compete for acceptance into a BTP; if accepted, then stipend, tuition and health insurance support are provided for two or three years during
2337-536: A harmful microbe are examples of environmental implications of biotechnology. Many cities have installed CityTrees , which use biotechnology to filter pollutants from urban atmospheres. The regulation of genetic engineering concerns approaches taken by governments to assess and manage the risks associated with the use of genetic engineering technology, and the development and release of genetically modified organisms (GMO), including genetically modified crops and genetically modified fish . There are differences in
2460-418: A large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms . Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth , and are present in most of its habitats . Bacteria inhabit the air, soil, water, acidic hot springs , radioactive waste , and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust . Bacteria play a vital role in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients and
2583-408: A membrane-bound nucleus, and their genetic material is typically a single circular bacterial chromosome of DNA located in the cytoplasm in an irregularly shaped body called the nucleoid . The nucleoid contains the chromosome with its associated proteins and RNA . Like all other organisms , bacteria contain ribosomes for the production of proteins, but the structure of the bacterial ribosome
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#17327984517762706-415: A notable advance in comparison with the lack of studies published in recent years in scientific journals by those companies. Krimsky, Sheldon (2015). "An Illusory Consensus behind GMO Health Assessment". Science, Technology, & Human Values . 40 (6): 883–914. doi : 10.1177/0162243915598381 . S2CID 40855100 . I began this article with the testimonials from respected scientists that there
2829-513: A number of articles some of which have strongly and negatively influenced the public opinion on GM crops and even provoked political actions, such as GMO embargo, share common flaws in the statistical evaluation of the data. Having accounted for these flaws, we conclude that the data presented in these articles does not provide any substantial evidence of GMO harm. The presented articles suggesting possible harm of GMOs received high public attention. However, despite their claims, they actually weaken
2952-434: A number of ecological benefits, if not used in excess. Insect-resistant crops have proven to lower pesticide usage, therefore reducing the environmental impact of pesticides as a whole. However, opponents have objected to GM crops per se on several grounds, including environmental concerns, whether food produced from GM crops is safe, whether GM crops are needed to address the world's food needs, and economic concerns raised by
3075-528: A particular organism or group of organisms ( syntrophy ). Bacterial growth follows four phases. When a population of bacteria first enter a high-nutrient environment that allows growth, the cells need to adapt to their new environment. The first phase of growth is the lag phase , a period of slow growth when the cells are adapting to the high-nutrient environment and preparing for fast growth. The lag phase has high biosynthesis rates, as proteins necessary for rapid growth are produced. The second phase of growth
3198-415: A process called transformation . Many bacteria can naturally take up DNA from the environment, while others must be chemically altered in order to induce them to take up DNA. The development of competence in nature is usually associated with stressful environmental conditions and seems to be an adaptation for facilitating repair of DNA damage in recipient cells. Second, bacteriophages can integrate into
3321-602: A promising method to combat malnutrition in India and other countries. Industrial biotechnology (known mainly in Europe as white biotechnology) is the application of biotechnology for industrial purposes, including industrial fermentation . It includes the practice of using cells such as microorganisms , or components of cells like enzymes , to generate industrially useful products in sectors such as chemicals, food and feed, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles and biofuels . In
3444-478: A pure microbiological culture in an industrial process, that of manufacturing corn starch using Clostridium acetobutylicum , to produce acetone , which the United Kingdom desperately needed to manufacture explosives during World War I . Biotechnology has also led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered the mold Penicillium . His work led to the purification of
3567-425: A single continuous stretch of DNA. Although several different types of introns do exist in bacteria, these are much rarer than in eukaryotes. Bacteria, as asexual organisms, inherit an identical copy of the parent's genome and are clonal . However, all bacteria can evolve by selection on changes to their genetic material DNA caused by genetic recombination or mutations . Mutations arise from errors made during
3690-427: A single linear chromosome, while some Vibrio species contain more than one chromosome. Some bacteria contain plasmids , small extra-chromosomal molecules of DNA that may contain genes for various useful functions such as antibiotic resistance , metabolic capabilities, or various virulence factors . Bacteria genomes usually encode a few hundred to a few thousand genes. The genes in bacterial genomes are usually
3813-649: A source of electrons and a substrate for carbon anabolism . In many ways, bacterial metabolism provides traits that are useful for ecological stability and for human society. For example, diazotrophs have the ability to fix nitrogen gas using the enzyme nitrogenase . This trait, which can be found in bacteria of most metabolic types listed above, leads to the ecologically important processes of denitrification , sulfate reduction , and acetogenesis , respectively. Bacterial metabolic processes are important drivers in biological responses to pollution ; for example, sulfate-reducing bacteria are largely responsible for
Midichloriaceae - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-797: A thick peptidoglycan cell wall like a Gram-positive bacterium, but also a second outer layer of lipids. In many bacteria, an S-layer of rigidly arrayed protein molecules covers the outside of the cell. This layer provides chemical and physical protection for the cell surface and can act as a macromolecular diffusion barrier . S-layers have diverse functions and are known to act as virulence factors in Campylobacter species and contain surface enzymes in Bacillus stearothermophilus . Flagella are rigid protein structures, about 20 nanometres in diameter and up to 20 micrometres in length, that are used for motility . Flagella are driven by
4059-417: A three- dimensional random walk . Bacterial species differ in the number and arrangement of flagella on their surface; some have a single flagellum ( monotrichous ), a flagellum at each end ( amphitrichous ), clusters of flagella at the poles of the cell ( lophotrichous ), while others have flagella distributed over the entire surface of the cell ( peritrichous ). The flagella of a group of bacteria,
4182-414: A wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms for human purposes, going back to domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, and "improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization . Modern usage also includes genetic engineering, as well as cell and tissue culture technologies. The American Chemical Society defines biotechnology as
4305-423: A wide range of products such as beer, wine, and cheese. The applications of biotechnology are diverse and have led to the development of essential products like life-saving drugs, biofuels , genetically modified crops, and innovative materials. It has also been used to address environmental challenges, such as developing biodegradable plastics and using microorganisms to clean up contaminated sites. Biotechnology
4428-507: Is a rapidly evolving field with significant potential to address pressing global challenges and improve the quality of life for people around the world; however, despite its numerous benefits, it also poses ethical and societal challenges, such as questions around genetic modification and intellectual property rights . As a result, there is ongoing debate and regulation surrounding the use and application of biotechnology in various industries and fields. The concept of biotechnology encompasses
4551-635: Is based on the basic biological sciences (e.g., molecular biology , biochemistry , cell biology , embryology , genetics , microbiology ) and conversely provides methods to support and perform basic research in biology. Biotechnology is the research and development in the laboratory using bioinformatics for exploration, extraction, exploitation, and production from any living organisms and any source of biomass by means of biochemical engineering where high value-added products could be planned (reproduced by biosynthesis , for example), forecasted, formulated, developed, manufactured, and marketed for
4674-480: Is caused by a toxin released by the bacteria that grow from the spores. Clostridioides difficile infection , a common problem in healthcare settings, is caused by spore-forming bacteria. Bacteria exhibit an extremely wide variety of metabolic types. The distribution of metabolic traits within a group of bacteria has traditionally been used to define their taxonomy , but these traits often do not correspond with modern genetic classifications. Bacterial metabolism
4797-412: Is classified into nutritional groups on the basis of three major criteria: the source of energy , the electron donors used, and the source of carbon used for growth. Phototrophic bacteria derive energy from light using photosynthesis , while chemotrophic bacteria breaking down chemical compounds through oxidation , driving metabolism by transferring electrons from a given electron donor to
4920-638: Is considered one of the essential cornerstones in industrial biotechnology due to its financial and sustainable contribution to the manufacturing sector. Jointly biotechnology and synthetic biology play a crucial role in generating cost-effective products with nature-friendly features by using bio-based production instead of fossil-based. Synthetic biology can be used to engineer model microorganisms , such as Escherichia coli , by genome editing tools to enhance their ability to produce bio-based products, such as bioproduction of medicines and biofuels . For instance, E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in
5043-536: Is dependent on bacterial secretion systems . These transfer proteins from the cytoplasm into the periplasm or into the environment around the cell. Many types of secretion systems are known and these structures are often essential for the virulence of pathogens, so are intensively studied. Some genera of Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus , Clostridium , Sporohalobacter , Anaerobacter , and Heliobacterium , can form highly resistant, dormant structures called endospores . Endospores develop within
Midichloriaceae - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-534: Is determined by the bacterial cell wall and cytoskeleton and is important because it can influence the ability of bacteria to acquire nutrients, attach to surfaces, swim through liquids and escape predators . Multicellularity . Most bacterial species exist as single cells; others associate in characteristic patterns: Neisseria forms diploids (pairs), streptococci form chains, and staphylococci group together in "bunch of grapes" clusters. Bacteria can also group to form larger multicellular structures, such as
5289-441: Is different from that of eukaryotes and archaea. Some bacteria produce intracellular nutrient storage granules, such as glycogen , polyphosphate , sulfur or polyhydroxyalkanoates . Bacteria such as the photosynthetic cyanobacteria , produce internal gas vacuoles , which they use to regulate their buoyancy, allowing them to move up or down into water layers with different light intensities and nutrient levels. Around
5412-414: Is essential to the survival of many bacteria, and the antibiotic penicillin (produced by a fungus called Penicillium ) is able to kill bacteria by inhibiting a step in the synthesis of peptidoglycan. There are broadly speaking two different types of cell wall in bacteria, that classify bacteria into Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria . The names originate from the reaction of cells to
5535-865: Is expected to be good news for the biotechnology sector, with the Department of Energy estimating ethanol usage could reduce U.S. petroleum-derived fuel consumption by up to 30% by 2030. The biotechnology sector has allowed the U.S. farming industry to rapidly increase its supply of corn and soybeans—the main inputs into biofuels—by developing genetically modified seeds that resist pests and drought. By increasing farm productivity, biotechnology boosts biofuel production. Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non-food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e.g., biodegradable plastics , vegetable oil , biofuels ), and environmental uses. For example, one application of biotechnology
5658-572: Is literally no scientific controversy over the health effects of GMOs. My investigation into the scientific literature tells another story. And contrast: Panchin, Alexander Y.; Tuzhikov, Alexander I. (January 14, 2016). "Published GMO studies find no evidence of harm when corrected for multiple comparisons". Critical Reviews in Biotechnology . 37 (2): 213–217. doi : 10.3109/07388551.2015.1130684 . ISSN 0738-8551 . PMID 26767435 . S2CID 11786594 . Here, we show that
5781-529: Is made of about 20 proteins, with approximately another 30 proteins required for its regulation and assembly. The flagellum is a rotating structure driven by a reversible motor at the base that uses the electrochemical gradient across the membrane for power. Bacteria can use flagella in different ways to generate different kinds of movement. Many bacteria (such as E. coli ) have two distinct modes of movement: forward movement (swimming) and tumbling. The tumbling allows them to reorient and makes their movement
5904-468: Is made primarily of phospholipids . This membrane encloses the contents of the cell and acts as a barrier to hold nutrients, proteins and other essential components of the cytoplasm within the cell. Unlike eukaryotic cells , bacteria usually lack large membrane-bound structures in their cytoplasm such as a nucleus , mitochondria , chloroplasts and the other organelles present in eukaryotic cells. However, some bacteria have protein-bound organelles in
6027-496: Is motile in liquid or solid media. Several Listeria and Shigella species move inside host cells by usurping the cytoskeleton , which is normally used to move organelles inside the cell. By promoting actin polymerisation at one pole of their cells, they can form a kind of tail that pushes them through the host cell's cytoplasm. A few bacteria have chemical systems that generate light. This bioluminescence often occurs in bacteria that live in association with fish, and
6150-447: Is the stationary phase and is caused by depleted nutrients. The cells reduce their metabolic activity and consume non-essential cellular proteins. The stationary phase is a transition from rapid growth to a stress response state and there is increased expression of genes involved in DNA repair , antioxidant metabolism and nutrient transport . The final phase is the death phase where
6273-440: Is the logarithmic phase , also known as the exponential phase. The log phase is marked by rapid exponential growth . The rate at which cells grow during this phase is known as the growth rate ( k ), and the time it takes the cells to double is known as the generation time ( g ). During log phase, nutrients are metabolised at maximum speed until one of the nutrients is depleted and starts limiting growth. The third phase of growth
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#17327984517766396-673: Is the application of the principles of engineering and natural sciences to tissues, cells, and molecules. This can be considered as the use of knowledge from working with and manipulating biology to achieve a result that can improve functions in plants and animals. Relatedly, biomedical engineering is an overlapping field that often draws upon and applies biotechnology (by various definitions), especially in certain sub-fields of biomedical or chemical engineering such as tissue engineering , biopharmaceutical engineering , and genetic engineering . Although not normally what first comes to mind, many forms of human-derived agriculture clearly fit
6519-708: Is the directed use of microorganisms for the manufacture of organic products (examples include beer and milk products). Another example is using naturally present bacteria by the mining industry in bioleaching . Biotechnology is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial activities ( bioremediation ), and also to produce biological weapons . A series of derived terms have been coined to identify several branches of biotechnology, for example: In medicine, modern biotechnology has many applications in areas such as pharmaceutical drug discoveries and production, pharmacogenomics , and genetic testing (or genetic screening ). In 2021, nearly 40% of
6642-694: Is the plural of the Neo-Latin bacterium , which is the Latinisation of the Ancient Greek βακτήριον ( baktḗrion ), the diminutive of βακτηρία ( baktēría ), meaning "staff, cane", because the first ones to be discovered were rod-shaped . The ancestors of bacteria were unicellular microorganisms that were the first forms of life to appear on Earth, about 4 billion years ago. For about 3 billion years, most organisms were microscopic, and bacteria and archaea were
6765-488: Is widely used in biomedical applications, such as the detection of DNA hybridization , biomarker detection from blood , antibody detection, glucose measurement, pH sensing, and genetic technology . By the mid-1980s, other BioFETs had been developed, including the gas sensor FET (GASFET), pressure sensor FET (PRESSFET), chemical field-effect transistor (ChemFET), reference ISFET (REFET), enzyme-modified FET (ENFET) and immunologically modified FET (IMFET). By
6888-586: The DNA of which has been modified with genetic engineering techniques. In most cases, the main aim is to introduce a new trait that does not occur naturally in the species. Biotechnology firms can contribute to future food security by improving the nutrition and viability of urban agriculture. Furthermore, the protection of intellectual property rights encourages private sector investment in agrobiotechnology. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, stressful environmental conditions, resistance to chemical treatments (e.g. resistance to
7011-472: The Gram stain , a long-standing test for the classification of bacterial species. Gram-positive bacteria possess a thick cell wall containing many layers of peptidoglycan and teichoic acids . In contrast, Gram-negative bacteria have a relatively thin cell wall consisting of a few layers of peptidoglycan surrounded by a second lipid membrane containing lipopolysaccharides and lipoproteins . Most bacteria have
7134-470: The Human Genome Project ) has also dramatically improved our understanding of biology and as our scientific knowledge of normal and disease biology has increased, our ability to develop new medicines to treat previously untreatable diseases has increased as well. Genetic testing allows the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases , and can also be used to determine
7257-624: The fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere . The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies ; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps , extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane , to energy. Bacteria also live in mutualistic , commensal and parasitic relationships with plants and animals. Most bacteria have not been characterised and there are many species that cannot be grown in
7380-444: The spirochaetes , are found between two membranes in the periplasmic space. They have a distinctive helical body that twists about as it moves. Two other types of bacterial motion are called twitching motility that relies on a structure called the type IV pilus , and gliding motility , that uses other mechanisms. In twitching motility, the rod-like pilus extends out from the cell, binds some substrate, and then retracts, pulling
7503-551: The vacuum and radiation of outer space , leading to the possibility that bacteria could be distributed throughout the Universe by space dust , meteoroids , asteroids , comets , planetoids , or directed panspermia . Endospore-forming bacteria can cause disease; for example, anthrax can be contracted by the inhalation of Bacillus anthracis endospores, and contamination of deep puncture wounds with Clostridium tetani endospores causes tetanus , which, like botulism ,
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#17327984517767626-458: The EU and approval for import and processing. While only a few GMOs have been approved for cultivation in the EU a number of GMOs have been approved for import and processing. The cultivation of GMOs has triggered a debate about the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops. Depending on the coexistence regulations, incentives for the cultivation of GM crops differ. The EUginius (European GMO Initiative for
7749-793: The Gram-negative cell wall, and only members of the Bacillota group and actinomycetota (previously known as the low G+C and high G+C Gram-positive bacteria, respectively) have the alternative Gram-positive arrangement. These differences in structure can produce differences in antibiotic susceptibility; for instance, vancomycin can kill only Gram-positive bacteria and is ineffective against Gram-negative pathogens , such as Haemophilus influenzae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Some bacteria have cell wall structures that are neither classically Gram-positive or Gram-negative. This includes clinically important bacteria such as mycobacteria which have
7872-447: The aid of living organisms. The core principle of biotechnology involves harnessing biological systems and organisms, such as bacteria, yeast , and plants, to perform specific tasks or produce valuable substances. Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science . One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering , which allows scientists to modify
7995-518: The antibiotic compound formed by the mold by Howard Florey , Ernst Boris Chain and Norman Heatley – to form what we today know as penicillin . In 1940, penicillin became available for medicinal use to treat bacterial infections in humans. The field of modern biotechnology is generally thought of as having been born in 1971 when Paul Berg's (Stanford) experiments in gene splicing had early success. Herbert W. Boyer (Univ. Calif. at San Francisco) and Stanley N. Cohen (Stanford) significantly advanced
8118-511: The application of biological organisms, systems, or processes by various industries to learning about the science of life and the improvement of the value of materials and organisms, such as pharmaceuticals, crops, and livestock . As per the European Federation of Biotechnology , biotechnology is the integration of natural science and organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services. Biotechnology
8241-425: The archaeal/eukaryotic lineage. The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of bacteria and archaea was probably a hyperthermophile that lived about 2.5 billion–3.2 billion years ago. The earliest life on land may have been bacteria some 3.22 billion years ago. Bacteria were also involved in the second great evolutionary divergence, that of the archaea and eukaryotes. Here, eukaryotes resulted from
8364-455: The atmosphere and one cubic metre of air holds around one hundred million bacterial cells. The oceans and seas harbour around 3 x 10 bacteria which provide up to 50% of the oxygen humans breathe. Only around 2% of bacterial species have been fully studied. Size . Bacteria display a wide diversity of shapes and sizes. Bacterial cells are about one-tenth the size of eukaryotic cells and are typically 0.5–5.0 micrometres in length. However,
8487-520: The bacteria have come into contact with in the past, which allows them to block virus replication through a form of RNA interference . Third, bacteria can transfer genetic material through direct cell contact via conjugation . In ordinary circumstances, transduction, conjugation, and transformation involve transfer of DNA between individual bacteria of the same species, but occasionally transfer may occur between individuals of different bacterial species, and this may have significant consequences, such as
8610-444: The bacteria perform separate tasks; for example, about one in ten cells migrate to the top of a fruiting body and differentiate into a specialised dormant state called a myxospore, which is more resistant to drying and other adverse environmental conditions. Biofilms . Bacteria often attach to surfaces and form dense aggregations called biofilms and larger formations known as microbial mats . These biofilms and mats can range from
8733-401: The bacteria run out of nutrients and die. Most bacteria have a single circular chromosome that can range in size from only 160,000 base pairs in the endosymbiotic bacteria Carsonella ruddii , to 12,200,000 base pairs (12.2 Mbp) in the soil-dwelling bacteria Sorangium cellulosum . There are many exceptions to this; for example, some Streptomyces and Borrelia species contain
8856-412: The bacterial chromosome, introducing foreign DNA in a process known as transduction . Many types of bacteriophage exist; some infect and lyse their host bacteria, while others insert into the bacterial chromosome. Bacteria resist phage infection through restriction modification systems that degrade foreign DNA and a system that uses CRISPR sequences to retain fragments of the genomes of phage that
8979-502: The breakdown of oil spills , the production of cheese and yogurt through fermentation , the recovery of gold, palladium , copper and other metals in the mining sector ( biomining , bioleaching ), as well as in biotechnology , and the manufacture of antibiotics and other chemicals. Once regarded as plants constituting the class Schizomycetes ("fission fungi"), bacteria are now classified as prokaryotes . Unlike cells of animals and other eukaryotes , bacterial cells do not contain
9102-471: The broad definition of "utilizing a biotechnological system to make products". Indeed, the cultivation of plants may be viewed as the earliest biotechnological enterprise. Agriculture has been theorized to have become the dominant way of producing food since the Neolithic Revolution . Through early biotechnology, the earliest farmers selected and bred the best-suited crops (e.g., those with
9225-437: The cell forward. Motile bacteria are attracted or repelled by certain stimuli in behaviours called taxes : these include chemotaxis , phototaxis , energy taxis , and magnetotaxis . In one peculiar group, the myxobacteria, individual bacteria move together to form waves of cells that then differentiate to form fruiting bodies containing spores. The myxobacteria move only when on solid surfaces, unlike E. coli , which
9348-509: The course of their PhD thesis work. Nineteen institutions offer NIGMS supported BTPs. Biotechnology training is also offered at the undergraduate level and in community colleges. But see also: Domingo, José L.; Bordonaba, Jordi Giné (2011). "A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants" (PDF) . Environment International . 37 (4): 734–742. Bibcode : 2011EnInt..37..734D . doi : 10.1016/j.envint.2011.01.003 . PMID 21296423 . Archived (PDF) from
9471-445: The current decades, significant progress has been done in creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that enhance the diversity of applications and economical viability of industrial biotechnology. By using renewable raw materials to produce a variety of chemicals and fuels, industrial biotechnology is actively advancing towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions and moving away from a petrochemical-based economy. Synthetic biology
9594-629: The cytoplasm of the cell; generally, a single endospore develops in each cell. Each endospore contains a core of DNA and ribosomes surrounded by a cortex layer and protected by a multilayer rigid coat composed of peptidoglycan and a variety of proteins. Endospores show no detectable metabolism and can survive extreme physical and chemical stresses, such as high levels of UV light , gamma radiation , detergents , disinfectants , heat, freezing, pressure, and desiccation . In this dormant state, these organisms may remain viable for millions of years. Endospores even allow bacteria to survive exposure to
9717-419: The cytoplasm which compartmentalise aspects of bacterial metabolism, such as the carboxysome . Additionally, bacteria have a multi-component cytoskeleton to control the localisation of proteins and nucleic acids within the cell, and to manage the process of cell division . Many important biochemical reactions, such as energy generation, occur due to concentration gradients across membranes, creating
9840-488: The difference between beneficial biotechnology (e.g., bioremediation is to clean up an oil spill or hazard chemical leak) versus the adverse effects stemming from biotechnological enterprises (e.g., flow of genetic material from transgenic organisms into wild strains) can be seen as applications and implications, respectively. Cleaning up environmental wastes is an example of an application of environmental biotechnology ; whereas loss of biodiversity or loss of containment of
9963-458: The discovery and manufacturing of traditional small molecule pharmaceutical drugs as well as drugs that are the product of biotechnology – biopharmaceutics . Modern biotechnology can be used to manufacture existing medicines relatively easily and cheaply. The first genetically engineered products were medicines designed to treat human diseases. To cite one example, in 1978 Genentech developed synthetic humanized insulin by joining its gene with
10086-411: The dominant forms of life. Although bacterial fossils exist, such as stromatolites , their lack of distinctive morphology prevents them from being used to examine the history of bacterial evolution, or to date the time of origin of a particular bacterial species. However, gene sequences can be used to reconstruct the bacterial phylogeny , and these studies indicate that bacteria diverged first from
10209-402: The early 2000s, BioFETs such as the DNA field-effect transistor (DNAFET), gene-modified FET (GenFET) and cell-potential BioFET (CPFET) had been developed. A factor influencing the biotechnology sector's success is improved intellectual property rights legislation—and enforcement—worldwide, as well as strengthened demand for medical and pharmaceutical products. Rising demand for biofuels
10332-526: The elongated filaments of Actinomycetota species, the aggregates of Myxobacteria species, and the complex hyphae of Streptomyces species. These multicellular structures are often only seen in certain conditions. For example, when starved of amino acids, myxobacteria detect surrounding cells in a process known as quorum sensing , migrate towards each other, and aggregate to form fruiting bodies up to 500 micrometres long and containing approximately 100,000 bacterial cells. In these fruiting bodies,
10455-501: The energy released by the transfer of ions down an electrochemical gradient across the cell membrane. Fimbriae (sometimes called " attachment pili ") are fine filaments of protein, usually 2–10 nanometres in diameter and up to several micrometres in length. They are distributed over the surface of the cell, and resemble fine hairs when seen under the electron microscope . Fimbriae are believed to be involved in attachment to solid surfaces or to other cells, and are essential for
10578-602: The entering of ancient bacteria into endosymbiotic associations with the ancestors of eukaryotic cells, which were themselves possibly related to the Archaea. This involved the engulfment by proto-eukaryotic cells of alphaproteobacterial symbionts to form either mitochondria or hydrogenosomes , which are still found in all known Eukarya (sometimes in highly reduced form , e.g. in ancient "amitochondrial" protozoa). Later, some eukaryotes that already contained mitochondria also engulfed cyanobacteria -like organisms, leading to
10701-641: The evolution of different growth strategies (see r/K selection theory ). Some organisms can grow extremely rapidly when nutrients become available, such as the formation of algal and cyanobacterial blooms that often occur in lakes during the summer. Other organisms have adaptations to harsh environments, such as the production of multiple antibiotics by Streptomyces that inhibit the growth of competing microorganisms. In nature, many organisms live in communities (e.g., biofilms ) that may allow for increased supply of nutrients and protection from environmental stresses. These relationships can be essential for growth of
10824-607: The fact these organisms are subject to intellectual property law. Biotechnology has several applications in the realm of food security. Crops like Golden rice are engineered to have higher nutritional content, and there is potential for food products with longer shelf lives. Though not a form of agricultural biotechnology, vaccines can help prevent diseases found in animal agriculture. Additionally, agricultural biotechnology can expedite breeding processes in order to yield faster results and provide greater quantities of food. Transgenic biofortification in cereals has been considered as
10947-468: The first biosensor in 1962. Biosensor MOSFETs were later developed, and they have since been widely used to measure physical , chemical , biological and environmental parameters. The first BioFET was the ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET), invented by Piet Bergveld in 1970. It is a special type of MOSFET, where the metal gate is replaced by an ion -sensitive membrane , electrolyte solution and reference electrode . The ISFET
11070-416: The first forms of biotechnology. These processes also were included in early fermentation of beer . These processes were introduced in early Mesopotamia , Egypt , China and India , and still use the same basic biological methods. In brewing , malted grains (containing enzymes ) convert starch from grains into sugar and then adding specific yeasts to produce beer. In this process, carbohydrates in
11193-570: The formation of chloroplasts in algae and plants. This is known as primary endosymbiosis . Bacteria are ubiquitous, living in every possible habitat on the planet including soil, underwater, deep in Earth's crust and even such extreme environments as acidic hot springs and radioactive waste. There are thought to be approximately 2×10 bacteria on Earth, forming a biomass that is only exceeded by plants. They are abundant in lakes and oceans, in arctic ice, and geothermal springs where they provide
11316-407: The genetic makeup of organisms to achieve desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, and consequently, create new traits or modifying existing ones. Other important techniques used in biotechnology include tissue culture, which allows researchers to grow cells and tissues in the lab for research and medical purposes, and fermentation , which is used to produce
11439-416: The grains broke down into alcohols, such as ethanol. Later, other cultures produced the process of lactic acid fermentation , which produced other preserved foods, such as soy sauce . Fermentation was also used in this time period to produce leavened bread . Although the process of fermentation was not fully understood until Louis Pasteur 's work in 1857, it is still the first use of biotechnology to convert
11562-407: The growth in cell population. Biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. The term biotechnology was first used by Károly Ereky in 1919 to refer to the production of products from raw materials with
11685-453: The gut. However, several species of bacteria are pathogenic and cause infectious diseases , including cholera , syphilis , anthrax , leprosy , tuberculosis , tetanus and bubonic plague . The most common fatal bacterial diseases are respiratory infections . Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and are also used in farming, making antibiotic resistance a growing problem. Bacteria are important in sewage treatment and
11808-478: The highest yields) to produce enough food to support a growing population. As crops and fields became increasingly large and difficult to maintain, it was discovered that specific organisms and their by-products could effectively fertilize , restore nitrogen , and control pests . Throughout the history of agriculture, farmers have inadvertently altered the genetics of their crops through introducing them to new environments and breeding them with other plants — one of
11931-409: The laboratory. The study of bacteria is known as bacteriology , a branch of microbiology . Like all animals, humans carry vast numbers (approximately 10 to 10 ) of bacteria. Most are in the gut , though there are many on the skin. Most of the bacteria in and on the body are harmless or rendered so by the protective effects of the immune system , and many are beneficial , particularly the ones in
12054-627: The largest viruses . Some bacteria may be even smaller, but these ultramicrobacteria are not well-studied. Shape . Most bacterial species are either spherical, called cocci ( singular coccus , from Greek kókkos , grain, seed), or rod-shaped, called bacilli ( sing . bacillus, from Latin baculus , stick). Some bacteria, called vibrio , are shaped like slightly curved rods or comma-shaped; others can be spiral-shaped, called spirilla , or tightly coiled, called spirochaetes . A small number of other unusual shapes have been described, such as star-shaped bacteria. This wide variety of shapes
12177-716: The light probably serves to attract fish or other large animals. Bacteria often function as multicellular aggregates known as biofilms , exchanging a variety of molecular signals for intercell communication and engaging in coordinated multicellular behaviour. The communal benefits of multicellular cooperation include a cellular division of labour , accessing resources that cannot effectively be used by single cells, collectively defending against antagonists, and optimising population survival by differentiating into distinct cell types. For example, bacteria in biofilms can have more than five hundred times increased resistance to antibacterial agents than individual "planktonic" bacteria of
12300-718: The market, but in 2015 the FDA approved the first GM salmon for commercial production and consumption. There is a scientific consensus that currently available food derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food, but that each GM food needs to be tested on a case-by-case basis before introduction. Nonetheless, members of the public are much less likely than scientists to perceive GM foods as safe. The legal and regulatory status of GM foods varies by country, with some nations banning or restricting them, and others permitting them with widely differing degrees of regulation. GM crops also provide
12423-815: The methods of genetic engineering . These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new crop traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods such as selective breeding and mutation breeding . Commercial sale of genetically modified foods began in 1994, when Calgene first marketed its Flavr Savr delayed ripening tomato. To date most genetic modification of foods have primarily focused on cash crops in high demand by farmers such as soybean , corn , canola , and cotton seed oil . These have been engineered for resistance to pathogens and herbicides and better nutrient profiles. GM livestock have also been experimentally developed; in November 2013 none were available on
12546-542: The new technology in 1972 by transferring genetic material into a bacterium, such that the imported material would be reproduced. The commercial viability of a biotechnology industry was significantly expanded on June 16, 1980, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that a genetically modified microorganism could be patented in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty . Indian-born Ananda Chakrabarty , working for General Electric , had modified
12669-417: The newly formed daughter cells. Examples include fruiting body formation by myxobacteria and aerial hyphae formation by Streptomyces species, or budding. Budding involves a cell forming a protrusion that breaks away and produces a daughter cell. In the laboratory, bacteria are usually grown using solid or liquid media. Solid growth media , such as agar plates , are used to isolate pure cultures of
12792-473: The nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane , to energy. They live on and in plants and animals. Most do not cause diseases, are beneficial to their environments, and are essential for life. The soil is a rich source of bacteria and a few grams contain around a thousand million of them. They are all essential to soil ecology, breaking down toxic waste and recycling nutrients. They are even found in
12915-404: The original on October 9, 2022. In spite of this, the number of studies specifically focused on safety assessment of GM plants is still limited. However, it is important to remark that for the first time, a certain equilibrium in the number of research groups suggesting, on the basis of their studies, that a number of varieties of GM products (mainly maize and soybeans) are as safe and nutritious as
13038-475: The outside of the cell membrane is the cell wall . Bacterial cell walls are made of peptidoglycan (also called murein), which is made from polysaccharide chains cross-linked by peptides containing D- amino acids . Bacterial cell walls are different from the cell walls of plants and fungi , which are made of cellulose and chitin , respectively. The cell wall of bacteria is also distinct from that of achaea, which do not contain peptidoglycan. The cell wall
13161-463: The production of a chemical known as 1,4-butanediol , which is used in fiber manufacturing. In order to produce 1,4-butanediol, the authors alter the metabolic regulation of the Escherichia coli by CRISPR to induce point mutation in the glt A gene, knockout of the sad gene, and knock-in six genes ( cat 1, suc D, 4hbd , cat 2, bld , and bdh ). Whereas CRISPRi system used to knockdown
13284-460: The production of crops and livestock to use them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops. In the early twentieth century scientists gained a greater understanding of microbiology and explored ways of manufacturing specific products. In 1917, Chaim Weizmann first used
13407-612: The production of the highly toxic forms of mercury ( methyl- and dimethylmercury ) in the environment. Nonrespiratory anaerobes use fermentation to generate energy and reducing power, secreting metabolic by-products (such as ethanol in brewing) as waste. Facultative anaerobes can switch between fermentation and different terminal electron acceptors depending on the environmental conditions in which they find themselves. Unlike in multicellular organisms, increases in cell size ( cell growth ) and reproduction by cell division are tightly linked in unicellular organisms. Bacteria grow to
13530-441: The products). The utilization of biological processes, organisms or systems to produce products that are anticipated to improve human lives is termed biotechnology. By contrast, bioengineering is generally thought of as a related field that more heavily emphasizes higher systems approaches (not necessarily the altering or using of biological materials directly ) for interfacing with and utilizing living things. Bioengineering
13653-422: The purpose of sustainable operations (for the return from bottomless initial investment on R & D) and gaining durable patents rights (for exclusives rights for sales, and prior to this to receive national and international approval from the results on animal experiment and human experiment, especially on the pharmaceutical branch of biotechnology to prevent any undetected side-effects or safety concerns by using
13776-470: The regulation of GMOs between countries, with some of the most marked differences occurring between the US and Europe. Regulation varies in a given country depending on the intended use of the products of the genetic engineering. For example, a crop not intended for food use is generally not reviewed by authorities responsible for food safety. The European Union differentiates between approval for cultivation within
13899-560: The replication of DNA or from exposure to mutagens . Mutation rates vary widely among different species of bacteria and even among different clones of a single species of bacteria. Genetic changes in bacterial genomes emerge from either random mutation during replication or "stress-directed mutation", where genes involved in a particular growth-limiting process have an increased mutation rate. Some bacteria transfer genetic material between cells. This can occur in three main ways. First, bacteria can take up exogenous DNA from their environment in
14022-404: The respective conventional non-GM plant, and those raising still serious concerns, was observed. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that most of the studies demonstrating that GM foods are as nutritional and safe as those obtained by conventional breeding, have been performed by biotechnology companies or associates, which are also responsible of commercializing these GM plants. Anyhow, this represents
14145-530: The same species. One type of intercellular communication by a molecular signal is called quorum sensing , which serves the purpose of determining whether the local population density is sufficient to support investment in processes that are only successful if large numbers of similar organisms behave similarly, such as excreting digestive enzymes or emitting light. Quorum sensing enables bacteria to coordinate gene expression and to produce, release, and detect autoinducers or pheromones that accumulate with
14268-412: The surfaces of plants, the majority of bacteria are bound to surfaces in biofilms. Biofilms are also important in medicine, as these structures are often present during chronic bacterial infections or in infections of implanted medical devices , and bacteria protected within biofilms are much harder to kill than individual isolated bacteria. The bacterial cell is surrounded by a cell membrane , which
14391-457: The terminal electron acceptor, while anaerobic organisms use other compounds such as nitrate , sulfate , or carbon dioxide. Many bacteria, called heterotrophs , derive their carbon from other organic carbon . Others, such as cyanobacteria and some purple bacteria , are autotrophic , meaning they obtain cellular carbon by fixing carbon dioxide . In unusual circumstances, the gas methane can be used by methanotrophic bacteria as both
14514-534: The three competing genes ( gab D, ybg C, and tes B) that affect the biosynthesis pathway of 1,4-butanediol. Consequently, the yield of 1,4-butanediol significantly increased from 0.9 to 1.8 g/L. Environmental biotechnology includes various disciplines that play an essential role in reducing environmental waste and providing environmentally safe processes, such as biofiltration and biodegradation . The environment can be affected by biotechnologies, both positively and adversely. Vallero and others have argued that
14637-542: The time, testing is used to find changes that are associated with inherited disorders. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine a person's chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder . As of 2011 several hundred genetic tests were in use. Since genetic testing may open up ethical or psychological problems, genetic testing is often accompanied by genetic counseling . Genetically modified crops ("GM crops", or "biotech crops") are plants used in agriculture ,
14760-570: The total company value of pharmaceutical biotech companies worldwide were active in Oncology with Neurology and Rare Diseases being the other two big applications. Pharmacogenomics (a combination of pharmacology and genomics ) is the technology that analyses how genetic makeup affects an individual's response to drugs. Researchers in the field investigate the influence of genetic variation on drug responses in patients by correlating gene expression or single-nucleotide polymorphisms with
14883-447: The transfer of antibiotic resistance. In such cases, gene acquisition from other bacteria or the environment is called horizontal gene transfer and may be common under natural conditions. Many bacteria are motile (able to move themselves) and do so using a variety of mechanisms. The best studied of these are flagella , long filaments that are turned by a motor at the base to generate propeller-like movement. The bacterial flagellum
15006-495: The virulence of some bacterial pathogens. Pili ( sing . pilus) are cellular appendages, slightly larger than fimbriae, that can transfer genetic material between bacterial cells in a process called conjugation where they are called conjugation pili or sex pili (see bacterial genetics, below). They can also generate movement where they are called type IV pili . Glycocalyx is produced by many bacteria to surround their cells, and varies in structural complexity: ranging from
15129-507: The world's crop lands were planted with GM crops in 2010. As of 2011, 11 different transgenic crops were grown commercially on 395 million acres (160 million hectares) in 29 countries such as the US, Brazil , Argentina , India , Canada, China, Paraguay, Pakistan, South Africa, Uruguay, Bolivia, Australia, Philippines, Myanmar, Burkina Faso, Mexico and Spain. Genetically modified foods are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA with
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