BIOTECHNOLOGY - V. H. Herasymenko - 2006

Part I. General Biotechnology

Chapter 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY AS A SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE

1.1. SUBJECT MATTER OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Biotechnology is the science of utilizing chemical and biological processes and biological objects (microorganisms, PLANT AND ANIMAL Cell and tissue cultures, enzyme preparations, and other BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES) in industrial production. The term originates from the Greek words bios (life), teken (art), and logos (science).

According to the definition by the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB, 1984), biotechnology is based on the integrated use of biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, cell and Introduction/32.html">Genetic Engineering for the industrial application of The properties of microorganisms, cell cultures, and Tissues. This definition itself reflects its interdisciplinary nature as a borderland field, where fundamental research in biological, chemical, and technical disciplines acquires applied significance.

Biotechnology is one of the oldest and, at the same time, one of the youngest sciences and industrial sectors.

Humanity has long mastered various biotechnological processes in practice. Winemaking and bread baking have been known since biblical times, followed somewhat later by The production of fermented dairy products, sauerkraut, mead, feed ensiling, and more. Ancient peoples intuitively utilized techniques and Methods FOR PRODUCING goods that we today classify as biotechnological.

A significant impetus in The Development of biotechnology is associated with the groundbreaking research of the great French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822–1895), the founder of scientific microbiology. He uncovered the microbial nature of Fermentation, proved the possibility of life in oxygen-free conditions, experimentally refuted The Theory of spontaneous generation of living organisms, established the scientific foundations of vaccine prophylaxis and therapy, and proposed a sterilization method named after him—pasteurization, among other contributions.

Starting from the second third of the 20th century, the Structure/175.html">Implementation of large-scale sealed equipment began, ensuring processes are conducted under sterile conditions. A particularly powerful boost to the development of industrial biotechnological equipment occurred during the emergence and growth of antibiotic production (the World War II period, 1939–1945, when there was an urgent need for antimicrobial drugs to treat patients with infected wounds). During this time, the fundamental challenges of designing, creating, and implementing bioreactors into practice—which are still in use today—were successfully resolved.

However, the term "biotechnology" only came into widespread use in the mid-1970s, when biotechnology experienced its second birth with the advent of genetic engineering. The actual establishment of biotechnology as an independent science began in 1972, when P. Berg and his coworkers in the USA created the first recombinant DNA molecule.

Of course, without the foundational work of F. Crick and J. Watson (1953) on determining The structure of DNA, achieving modern results in biotechnology would have been impossible. Elucidating the mechanisms of DNA functioning and regulation, along with the isolation and study of specific Enzymes, led to The formation of a precise scientific approach and the development of biotechnological processes based on genetic engineering.

As early as 1982, human Insulin synthesized by E. coli Bacteria containing artificially inserted Genetic information for this hormone went on sale. Subsequently, other genetically engineered drugs emerged, including interferons, human Growth Hormone, interleukin-2, and others.

During this period, superproducers of Antibiotics, enzymes, Amino Acids, and Vitamins were obtained; clean, waste-free technologies were developed and implemented; specialized equipment was designed and put into practice; and biotechnological processes underwent automation and computerization.

Over the last 10–15 years of the past century, biotechnology experienced rapid development, and the priority areas for implementing specific results of technological advancements were defined.