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Bioprospecting Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons STEMPS Faculty Publications STEM Education & Professional Studies 2005 Bioprospecting Philip A. Reed Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs Part of the Agricultural Economics Commons, Agricultural Education Commons, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons, Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutics Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Original Publication Citation Reed, P. A. (2005). Bioprospecting. The Technology Teacher, 64(4), 14-18. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the STEM Education & Professional Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in STEMPS Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BIOPROSPECTING PhilipA. Reed The productapplications of bioprospectingare almostlimitless. Thegold rush is on! No, prospectors are not scramblingfor the precious metal in northernCalifornia circa the 1840s.The new rush involvesthe collectionof biologicalmaterials, and the prospectorsare biologists, chemists,and corporations.This area of biotechnologyhas beenlabeled bioprospecting,and it is a practicethat is creatingworldwide controversy. Definedsimply, bioprospectingis "scientificresearch that looksfor a usefulapplication, process, or product in nature"(National Park Service, 2004).However, as with most biotechnologies,the definitiondoes not addressthe complexitiesof bioprospecting.The history, regu­ lations,and productsassociated with bioprospectingcan help us understand thesecomplexities. Historyof Bioprospecting Figure1: Thermusaquaticus, a bacteriumfound in YellowstoneNational Park, produces an enzyme,polymerase, that is vital to polymerasechain reaction (PCR) DNA fingerprinting. PCR Humanshave always lookedfor plants fingerprintingis widely usedby criminalinvestigators, hospitals, and other researchers. and animalsthey coulduse to make life easier.However, they discovered that certainfoods and beastsof suppressa cold has beenadvocated The NationalPark Service has faced burdencould be usedfor morethan by caringmothers for generations,but thesequestions and respondedwith basicsubsistence. Archeologists are it wasn't until 1993that scientific mixed results.In the 1960sa findingthat somebiotechnologies, evidencesupported this claim bacteriumwas foundin the hot such as the use of herbsfor medicine (Discover,1993). springsof Yellowstonethat has been and the use of fermentationand yeast key in the productionof one of the Geneticengineering and other in food products,date back 5,000to most importantenzymes in molecular scientificand technological advances 10,000years (DeMiranda, 2004). biology(Figure 1 ). Theapplications are continuallygiving us a deeper stemmingfrom Thermusaquaticus Many of the historicaluses of understandingof the naturalworld. (Taq) draw in hundredsof millionsof enzymes,proteins, and other We are not only learninghow chicken dollarsannually. biologicalmaterials have been broth interactswith enzymesin the understoodby scientists,physicians, body, but we are also still discovering Unfortunately,the NationalPark and nutritionistsfor quite sometime, new organisms.Where do these Servicedid not requirea contractwith while othersare still beingdiscovered. organismscome from and who owns the researcherwho discoveredT aq, For example,eating chicken soup to them? so noneof the applicationrevenues are flowing backto Yellowstone.To Fahrenheit]),and are unableto biotechnology.This approachplaces get in on the gold rush,the National grow above20°C (68° Fahrenheit). existingorganizations, such as the ParksOmnibus Management Act of U.S.Food and DrugAdministration • Alkaliphile:An organismwith 1998was createdto helpthe National (USFDA)and the U.S.Patent & optimalgrowth at pH valuesabove ParkService contract with TrademarkOffice (USPTO), in charge 10. bioprospectors.Specifically, the act of oversight(Figure 2). Certain allows for benefits-sharingagreements • Acidophile:An organismwith a pH exceptionsare madefor very "betweenresearchers, their optimumfor growth at, or below, controversialprocesses like the U.S. institutionsor companies,and the pH 2. ban on humancloning. NationalPark Service that return • Piezophile:(previously termed In the EuropeanUnion, however, they benefitsto the parkwhen the results barophile)An organismthat lives primarilyutilize a process-based of cooperativeresearch lead to the optimallyat high hydrostatic approachfor regulation.The European developmentof somethingthat is pressure(Maloney, 2004). cultureoverwhelmingly resists commerciallyvaluable" (National Park biotechnologybecause they do not Service,2004). Theseorganisms obviously do not just want to take unknownrisks­ residein the UnitedStates. Global Do not worry; benefitssharing does especiallyin the areaof genetic controversiesover who has the right not openthe parksfor large-scale engineering.Therefore, the European to biologicalmaterials are takingplace miningor otherenvironmental Unionhas· created strong regulations in the UnitedNations and the world damage.One of the key points of that restrict the most basic levels courts.To addressthis, many bioprospectingis that most samples (processes)of biotechnology(Morris, countriesand organizationsare fit in a vial and are microscopic. 1995). involvedin establishingnew Benefitssharing is a way to keepour regulatorypractices. Ironically,the northernhemisphere :a naturalparks pristine while potentially m has beenthe most proactivein Cl) providingfunding for their upkeep. 0 regulatingbiotechnology, but it is the c:: Regulations :a Theobvious attraction to the national southernhemisphere that facesthe C"') m parksis the abundanceof specimens; Differentcultures and regionsof the greatestthreats of bioprospecting.The Cl) however,bioprospectors are also lured world havecreated different regulatory abundanceof raw materialsis inviting 2 by extremophiles.Extremophiles are methodsfor biotechnology.The United for bioprospectors,and the natureof m~ organismsthat live in someof the Statesand Canadahave developed a third world and developingnations is C"') harshestenvironments on earth.Taq, product-basedprocess of regulating invitingfor biopirates.Biopiracy or ::z:: 2 for example,was found in the hot 0 r­ springsof Yellowstoneand thrives in e temperaturesup to 76.67°Celsius .-.llll>< C') Oii ~ -- ....... t«- tllb < (170° Fahrenheit).Many of these +- ., O]l,11,4,._ !jj•- ~- -1 '2)-..;flll- hardyorganisms are single-cell creaturesthat prosperin protected environmentssuch as very alkalineor USDA acidicwater, tar pits, magma,and iiiiii eventhe cold of Antarctica. Search the U.S. Database or completed RegulatoryAgency Reviews Extremophilesare typically classified ThiJdmbase c~ do-nnaswmon gct1e1Jc:alycn,piccred crop plds otodtd for accordingto the environmentin which food wreed thathaYe completed Ill recommendedor rcqi.medrew:w, for phinboa. f~od, or feed use., lhe Ur.iedStaut Thti d.ltabw:wil be upd.,tt'dreguiM'tyThe they live: ovenDcomm. andscope oftbcldMM)ue in,y chqe m thefutia-c to «11\n thif.the ~ue Conr.DJcsto meet \I.SC"nr:edi • Thermophile:An organismhaving ProductScarth Common Nafl!e; ,~ a growth temperatureoptimum of ~ Cetttoloupe .:.J 50°C( 122°Fahrenheit) or higher.In Sd•ntificHame: ~... -,.,.-,---,- .... ~.----~ S.laVUlgan. the caseof hyperthermophilesthe Bfau,ce napu,, &ea,sca neput vet Mf>U• !::J optimummay be between80°C and r..11c.,.. o,y. r~""·­...... ~ 110°c ( 176°-230°Fahrenheit). VIM-- .:.J • Halophile:An organismrequiring at least 0.2 M (3-30%)salt for growth. • Psychrophile:An organismhaving a growth temperatureoptimum of Figure2: The U.S.Department of Agriculture,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 15°C(59° Fahrenheit)or lower, and the Departmentof Healthand HumanServices, USFDA have teamed to createa databasethat assessesthe risk of new geneticallyengineered crop plants (somecan surviveat -10°C [14° (http://usbiotechreg.nbii.gov/database_pub.asp). THETECHNOLOGY TEACHER • December/January 2005 15 biocolonialismis usedto describe FromRaw Materialsto eventuallylead to insectresistance of the exploitationof thesenations' FinishedProducts the toxins. resourcesfor financialgain (Rifkin, Pharmaceuticalcompanies are 1998). By manipulatingproteins, using enzymes,and alteringgenes-the investingheavily in bioprospecting.In In any gold rushthere are unscrupu­ basic buildingblocks of life-we can one example,heavyweights Pfizer, lous characters.In California,Sam use naturalmaterials in a varietyof Pharmacia,and Upjohnhave all Brannanbecame extremely wealthy ways. To learnhow these building investedin a firm (lncytel that by runningthrough the streetsand blocksare used,it is helpfulto allegedlycontains a databaseof nearly yellingthat he hadfound gold. organizethem into groups.The four 100,000genes (Rifkin, 1998). When Althoughhe had a small samplein his main categoriesof biotechnologiesare you considerthat over half of the hand,Brannan planned to make agriculture,pharmaceutical, cancerdrugs approvedby the U.S. moneyfrom other prospectors,not environmental,and industrial(Oe Foodand DrugAdministration are of panning.Brannan had purchasedall of Miranda,2004). naturalorigin or are modeledon the shovelsand other panning naturalproducts, you can see why the equipmentin the area.Biopiracy is Agriculturalbiotechnologies are pharmaceuticalcompanies are just as deceptivebut is primarily arguablythe oldestand most widely progressivebioprospectors.
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