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Sample Pages Publisher’s Note Salem Press is pleased to add Principles of Biotechnology topics as biomechanical engineering and as the ninth title in the Principles of series that in- DNA fingerprinting; cludes Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, Further reading lists that relate to the entry. Physical Science, Biology, and Scientific Research. This new resource introduces students and researchers Entries related to important figures in biotech- to the fundamentals of biotechnology using easy-to- nology include the following: understand language that gives readers a solid start A brief overview of the individual and his or and deeper understanding and appreciation of this her contributions; complex subject. Key dates and biographical data; Primary field(s) and specialties; The 134 articles include 109 entries that Sidebars explaining the individual's signifi- explain basic principles of biotechnology, cant advances, inventions, or discoveries; ranging from Alternative energy sources to Text that provides information about the sci- Zygomycetes, with attention paid to Cloning; entist’s Early Life, Life’s Work, and Impact; Synthetic fuels; Medicinal plants; Stem cell re- Further reading lists that relate to the entry. search and technology; Genetically modified organisms; and more. All of the entries are ar- This reference work begins with a comprehen- ranged in A to Z order, making it easy to find sive introduction to the field, written by volume the topic of interest. editor Christina A. Crawford, Assistant Director The volume also features 23 biographies of for Science and Engineering at the Rice Office of key figures in biotechnology that include a STEM Engagement (R-STEM) at Rice University in description of each individual's significant Houston, Texas. contributions to the field, ranging from David Baltimore to David Norton Zinder. The book includes helpful appendixes as another valuable resource, including the following: Entries related to basic principles and concepts in- clude the following: Time Line of Inventions and Scientific Fields of study to illustrate the connections Advancements in Biotechnology between the topic and the various branches Glossary; of science related to biotechnology; General Bibliography; and An Abstract that provides brief, concrete Subject Index. summary of the topic and how the entry is organized; Salem Press and Grey House Publishing extend Text that gives an explanation of the back- their appreciation to all involved in the development ground and significance of the topic to bio- and production of this work. The entries have been technology as well as describing the way a written by experts in the field. Their names and affili- process works, how a procedure or technique ations follow the Editor's Introduction. is applied to achieve important goals related to the environment, health, nutrition, in- Principles of Biotechnology, as well as all Salem Press dustry, and agriculture. reference books, is available in print and as an e- Illustrations that clarify difficult concepts book. Please visit www.salempress.com for more via models, diagrams, and charts of such key information. vii Editor’s Introduction It’s Monday, around 6 p.m., and like any other night, products taken from living organisms, in their nat- it is time to sit down and have dinner. This simple ural forms. event happens every night for millions of people In the United States, an entity, whether a research around the world with such consistency and regu- facility or a business, is considered as working in the larity that it is often taken for granted. One out of field of biotechnology if any of the following types of every eight people, about 795 million worldwide, research take place: however, is malnourished, meaning that he or she does not have enough food to maintain his or her • Researching the coding or sequencing of DNA: health and be active. As of 2016, that number rep- Genomics, pharmacogenetics, gene probes, resented about 12.9 percent of the world’s popula- DNA sequencing/synthesis/amplification, ge- tion. Making food more accessible to everyone in the netic engineering. world is a serious concern as populations continue to • Researching proteins and other biomolecules: grow while the land available to produce food to feed Protein/peptide, sequencing/synthesis, lipid/ those populations stays the same, or even decreases. protein glycoengineering, proteomics, hor- Many people believe that this issue is one of the many mones and growth factors cell receptors/ problems facing our globe that can be addressed by signaling/pheromones. means of biotechnology, along with other vital con- • Researching cell and tissue culture and engi- cerns including access to routine medications such as neering: Cell/tissue culture, tissue engineering, vaccinations or vitamin supplements. For many bio- hybridization, cellular fusion, vaccine/immune technologists, the goal is to save the world, one inven- stimulants, embryo manipulation. tion at a time. • Researching process biotechnologies: Bio- reactors, fermentation, bioprocessing, biole- What is Biotechnology? aching, bio-pulping, bio-bleaching, biodesul- Biotechnology is defined as the use of living organ- phurization, bioremediation, and biofiltration. isms, or substances obtained from living organ- • Researching subcellular organisms: Gene isms, to produce products or processes of value to therapy, viral vectors. humankind. While it is true that biotechnology has made tremen- Each of the research areas above can be studied in dous advances in the areas of human and veterinary any of the various fields of biotechnology. medicine, agriculture, food production, and other fields, these advances have also raised some genuine Branches of Biotechnology concerns about how biotechnology should be moni- Researchers who study biotechnology generally orga- tored. Ongoing debates continue the effort to balance nize themselves among five different branches of bio- the potential of biotechnology, in particular genetic en- technology: animal, bioinformatics, environmental, gineering, and its ability to produce organisms that may medical, and industrial. benefit humans, against growing concerns about the potential for these advances and inventions to disrupt • Animal biotechnology: This branch of biotech- ecosystems, negatively affect human health, or be used nology deals with the development of trans- in ethically inappropriate ways. genic animals. The research is focused in areas Many countries have different interpretations of such as the increase of milk or meat production the field. Australia, for example, defines biotech- with high resistance to various diseases. It also nology as any technological application that uses deals with in vitro fertilization of an egg and the biological systems, including living organisms or de- transfer of an embryo to the womb of female rivatives thereof, to make or modify products or pro- animal for further development. cesses for specific use. Canada defines biotechnology • Bioinformatics: Bioinformatics is a branch as the application of science and engineering to the of biotechnology that is a combination of direct or indirect use of living organisms, or parts or both computer science and biotechnology. ix Editor’s Introduction Principles of Biotechnology Bioinformatics helps us to develop tools Stepping Stones in Biotechnology to analyze data related to biotechnology. The term biotechnology itself is relatively new, but Bioinformatics is used in various research the practice of biotechnology is as old as civilization. studies aimed at goals such as the develop- In fact, it played a key role in the initial development ment of new and more effective medicines. It is of societies and civilizations, since they could only also used to increase the fertility of plants and start to evolve once humans learned to apply selec- to provide them with a defense against pest, tive breeding techniques--a basic biotechnological drought and diseases. Bioinformatics is vital in skill--to improve and increase the food crops they a number of areas that are key contributors to grew and livestock they raised. biotechnology and the pharmaceutical sector. Artificial insemination, the process in which • Environmental biotechnology: This branch of bio- semen is collected from the male animal and depos- technology is dedicated to promoting a healthy ited into the female reproductive tract through artifi- environment. With the help of the process called cial techniques rather than natural mating, emerged micropropagation (a practice of producing larger as a practical procedure roughly a century ago, al- number of plants through the existing stock of though as early as 1784, Italian biologist Lazzaro plants), scientists are better able to select the right Spallanzani successfully inseminated a dog. quality of plants and crops for specific growing While genetic engineering is often considered conditions and environments. Transgenic plants a phenomenon of the late twentieth century, the (plants whose DNA is modified) can also be de- building blocks for such technology began with the signed to grow in a specified environment with first isolation of DNA in 1869 and the subsequent the help of certain chemicals. awareness of its relevance to heredity starting in • Medical biotechnology: This branch of bio- 1928. The first accurate double-helix model of DNA technology focuses on improving the health of was developed in 1953 by James D. Watson and humans and animals by developing the tech- Francis Crick, and
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