Environmental Biotechnology
WARM UP
• What do you think environmental biotechnology consists of? Choose the suitable definition:
a. The study of how the environment influences microbial life.
b. The use of biological processes for the protection and restoration of the quality of the environment.
c. The relationship between animals and the habitat they live in.
Aims
Environmental biotechnology utilises the biochemical potential of microorganisms and plants for the maintenance of biodiversity1 and the preservation and restoration of the environment. It includes a broad range of applications such as prevention, detection and monitoring of pollution; bioremediation of land, water and soil; sustainable development with promotion of ‘green’ manufacturing techniques and efficient use of natural resources in industrial processes; waste treatment and reduction of waste generation, genetic engineering.
Tools
Biological detection methods use biosensors and immunoassays1. Biosensors are analytical devices that convert biological responses into physical, chemical or electrical signals. It is then possible to make quantitative measurements of pollutants with extreme precision. Immunoassays use labelled antibodies and enzymes to measure pollutant levels. If a pollutant is present, the antibody attaches itself to it making it detectable either through colour change, fluorescence or radioactivity.
Biotechnology techniques are being applied to produce plant varieties resistant to insects and diseases, which may considerably reduce the use of pesticides. Several examples of such plants involve the use of organisms genetically modified by recombinant DNA technology.
Natural bio-pesticides degrade rapidly, leave no residues and are toxic only to target insects.
DO
1 Can you give a definition of biodiversity?
MORE
1 ‘Immunoassays’ are bioanalytical methods that use the specificity of an antigen-antibody reaction to detect and quantify target molecules in biological samples. These methods are frequently used in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, drug monitoring, and food testing.
‘Green’ enzymes
Many enzymes are routinely produced by genetically modified organisms too. Many industrial processes have been made more environmentally friendly by the use of enzymes, which are non-toxic and biodegradable and have numerous advantages over non-biological catalysts. Production methods that employ enzymes are generally not only cleaner and safer compared with other methods, but are also more economic in energy and resource consumption.
DNA technology for the environment
The application of DNA technology in the different kinds of biotechnology offers the possibility of creating new gene combinations that have not previously existed in nature. Since its beginnings, genetic engineering has claimed to be able to construct tailor-made microorganisms with improved degrading capabilities for toxic substances, as well as to create environmentally-friendlier alternatives for products and processes that presently pollute the environment or exhaust its non-renewable resources.
