Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Lecture
Applied Biology
Tecas Summer SchoolHannover, 1st – 5th September 2014
Dr. Sabrina SchmeckebierHTTG, Hannover Medical School
Working group Biohybrid Lung
IntroductionApplied Biology - Definition
What does Applied Biology mean ?
-definition BIOLOGY:- „ ... is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms
including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, taxonomy ... “
-branches of BIOLOGY: - Acarology, Anatomy, Arachnology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biomechanics, Bionomics, Biophysics, Biotechnology, Botany, Cell
biology, Ecology, Entomology, Evolution, Genetics, Gerontology, Herpetology, Histology, Ichnology, Ichthyology, Immunology, Limnology, Marine biology, Microbiology, Molecular biology, Mycology, Myrmecology, Neurobiology, Ornithology, Paleontology, Palynology, Parasitology, Photobiology, Phycology, Physiology, Plant physiology, Biological psychology, Radiobiology, Sociobiology, Structural biology, Taxonomy, Virology, Zoology
-APPLIED BIOLOGY:- transfer the basic knowledge of living systems and organisms to practical use to
develop new technologies and products
- AIM: to improve humans live and protect nature highly interdisciplinary
IntroductionApplied Biology - Application
Main areas of application:
- increasing human welfare
- improved use of natural resources
- reduce environmental pollution
- prevention of diseases
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
IntroductionFields of Applied Biology
Popular branches
Bionics
Biotechnology
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology Microbiology
Ecosystem Theory
Developmental Biology
Physiology
Genetics
IntroductionFields of Applied Biology
Use of Marine Organisms
Branches of Biotechnology
Environment
Waste Management
MedicinePharmacyAgriculture
Biotechnologyapplication in
Biotech companies - Geographical distribution
Background Biotechnology in Germany
Main areas of activity in Biotechnology companies (only 1 classification per company)
dedicated biotechnology companies
biotechnologically acitive companies with main focus in medicine
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Biotech institutions & employes – Geographical distribution
Background Biotechnological Research in Germany
Examples from Applied BiologyBionics
Bionics (german: Bionik)
- English term existing since 1958
- attempts from early history:
- Leonardo da Vinci - 1505 aimed to transfer the flight of birds to humans
- followed by O. Lilienthal in 1894
- general term not only construction of body parts, also biomimetics, biomimicry
application of biological principles, methods, systems, social behaviour
and organizational principles from nature
- AIM: study and design of engineering systems and modern technology
- strategies:
- basic science of general principles, later identification of potential for ideas to transfer to technology
- direct analogy search
- subsections: design, sensoric, structural, movement, neuronal, constructional, evolutional...
Example 1 - Velcro:
- one of the most famous examples of biomimetics
1948 Swiss engineer George de Mestral:
after walk with his dog recognized burrs in the fur (hair)
Examples from Applied BiologyBionics
Study of Bionics often emphasizes implementing functions found in nature rather than just imitating
biological structures.
Velcro hooks. Velcro loops.
Burr showing tiny hooks
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Example 2 - Lotus Effect:
Examples from Applied BiologyBIONICS
The underlying mechnism behind the Lotus effect was investigated and could be transferred to practical use.
Lotus flowers.
REM image of lotus leafe surface.
Water and dirts perl off window with lotus effect as well as facade painted with lotus effect
paint.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZyf5LI8WIIVIDEO LOTUSEFFEKT BLATT
Examples from Applied BiologyBionics
Example 3:
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Examples from Applied BiologyBionics
What is the Bionic behind?
Example 3:
Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt
Example 3:
Examples from Applied BiologyBionics
The roof was designed basing on the mechanism / statics of bat wings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXEXNH8sCo
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Example:
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Green Environmental Technology
Example:
-Project RUBIN „Aufbruch zur Industrialisierung von Naturkautschuk aus Löwenzahn“
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Green Environmental Technology
Video Continental
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Project RUBIN
-general aim of Continental: - development of an economically optimized wheel with consistent quality
-alternatives to use of fossile materials for rubber production
-kautschuk from dandelion (Löwenzahn)
more weather-independent cultivation than rubber tree
-comparable quality was achieved by using russian dandelion
-able to grow on fallow land (unused fields)
- does thereby not compete with other plants- only one growth period until harvest
-ecologically friendly
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Green Environmental Technology
Bioconversion:
- synonym biotransformation
- chemical reaction takes place that brings out chemical compound
those cannot be produced by other methods
- use of organic materials into usable products or energy sources
- by applying biological processes or agents
- e.g. microorganisms, enzymes
- metabolites
- enzymatic hydrolysis
- synthesis gas fermentation
- Examples:Yeast is a single-cell organism using alcoholic fermentationto draw ist energy by converting glucose into ethanol andcarbondioxide by using enzymes pyruvate carboxylase andalcohol dehydrogenase.
Scanning electron microscope image of a yeast cluster
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Food Technology
Functional Food / Nutrigenomic:
-Increasing world population ( increase of ∼80 Mio people/year)
increasing need for food
optimising the yield
gain additional benefit from food
functional food - supplementation with e.g.
- folates
- omega-3 fatty acids
- latic acid bacteria
- prebiotics
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Food Technology
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Genetic Engineering in Agriculture
Production of:
- vaccines
- antibiotics- flowers
- biofuels
- plant and animal breeding- prest resistant crops
- pesticide resitant crops- nutrient supplementation
- abiotic stress resistance
- industrial stength fibres
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Agricultural Technology
Genetically modified crop
Optimisation potential for crop e.g. corn
herbicide tolerance
insect resistance
weather tolerance
product yield e.g. bioethanol
storage potential
nutrient content
e.g. treatment of vitamin deficiencies
Caterpillar of O. nubilatisOstrinia nubilatis
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Agricultural Technology
Corn borer in corncob.
Genetically modified crop
1997 first transgenic corn
Bt-corn - resistent against certain plant harming insects by producing a poison
protein known from Bacillus thuringiensis,
naturally producing the insecticide (Bt-toxine)
new popular modification Monsato corn
crossing btw. different genetically modified varieties
"SmartStax" multiple artificial features
Crop is infected by European corn borer
Pest dies when feeding on any plant part
Bt gene is inserted into crop
bacillus thuringiensis
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Agricultural Technology
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Genetically modified crop & food
controversial discussions about
• need
• political aspects
• health aspects
• ecological aspects
e.g. genetically manipulated wheat, resistant against herbicide (Glyphosat)
treatment is not allowed be grown on free fields
potential for overgrowth
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Agricultural Technology
Development of technologies & products for application in medicine / pharma
-for research & treatment of disease or injury
-technologies e.g. pharmacogenomics, genetic engineering, cultivation of cells, tissues, organs
-modell organisms, needed to develop medical products
-production of pharmaceutical substances by genetically modified organisms
-products:
medical drugs (therapeutics, vaccines) and implants, cells, tissues,
organs for research and treatment of disease or injury
-important hallmarks:
- discovery of microbes - end of 15th century
- discovery of penicillin (A. Fleming) - 1928
- description of DNA-structure (J. Watson, F. Crick) - 1953
- human genome sequence – 2000
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Technologies for medical & genetic diagnostics
- detection of genetic profiles, defects and diseases by:
- proof of infections
- pharmacogenomics personalised medicine
- drug screening e.g. not working therapy due to a genetic defect
- biochips for development of new drugs and early disease diagnosis
- individual therapy and drug dosages
- prenatal diagnosis for the detection of heriditary genetic diseases
- paternity test / relationship testing
- crime investigations / forensics
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Example - Relationship testing by DNA profiling
- short repeating pieces of non-coding DNA - Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)
- Analysis of STRs
- repeat patterns differ among individuals
- each persons DNA contains 2 copies
(1 inherited from the father, 1 from the mother)
- could differ in length, sometimes sequence
- measured are 15 STR + 1 sex determining STR
- combination of marker sizes found in each person = genetic profile
- amplification of STRs by PCR
- the repeat reagion is variable btw. samples
flanking region are constant
primer binding
- length dependent specific band profile
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Technologies for Genetic Engineering
- Aim: change of organisms phenotype
- transgenic: genetic material that has been transferred from one organism to another
- historically genetic engineering performed since first breeding of organisms (e.g. plants)
- from 1970s invention of tools for combining DNA of different species
e.g. transfer of antibiotic resistance (H. Boyer, S. Cohen)
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Schematic overview for potentialstrategies to clone a gene of interest.
Transgenes - Products from Pharming
Genetic Engineering in pharmaceutical biotechnology = Pharming
insertion of genes into host organism to facilitate its expression
production of recombinant therapeutics like proteins or metabolic products
to produce alternatives to natural substances that can
be only available from other organisms
be rare
be difficult to derive
vary in quality
antigenes e.g. vaccination / immunisation against
antibodies e.g. against poisons, for diagnostic approaches
enzymes e.g. lactase to digest lactose
hormones e.g. peptide hormone insulin, treatment of diabetes
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Transgenes – Visualisation of gene expression
direct proof gene expression e.g. fluorescent proteins
indirect proof e.g. staining by certain dyes
fluorescence labelled antibodies
immunohistochemical staining
express additional genes e.g. antibiotic resistance
Aequorea victoria
Fluorescent coral
X-Gal hydrolysis with β-galactosidase
. . .
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences
-examples:
- microorganimsm – e.g. Escherichia coli – general gene function
- drosophila – basic studies e.g. general embryonic, metabolic, immunological mechanisms
- zebrafish – genetic studies, developmental biology
- axolotl – regeneration studies
- mice (knock-in, knock-out) – disease study, gain / loss of function studies, drug testing
Drosophila melanogaster, fruit fly.Danio rerio, zebrafish.
Mus musculus, house mouse.E. coli, electron microscopy image.
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences
- microorgansims
- mouse
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Bacteria, expressing different flurescent proteins.
Nude mouse; knock out of Foxn1 gene. Mouse embryo shows green fluorescence of heart due to knoch
in of GFP in Nkx 2.5 locus.
LacZ activity marks the cells of the developing myotome.
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Model Organisms in Biotech Research and Regenerative Sciences
- axolotl
Approaches of Regenerative Medicine
- regeneration of diseased cells, tissues, organs and facilitate the respective application
- Induced Regeneration
- (Stem) Cell Therapy
- Gene Therapy
- Tissue Engineering
- Biohybrid devices
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
Embryonic stem cells Induced pluripotent stem cells Adult stem cells
promising potential for application in Regenerative Medicine
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Regenerative Medicine
Applied Biology
TECAS‐ITN Summer School 2014
Strategies for applying Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
Examples from Applied BiologyBiotechnology – Medicine & Pharmacy
- Research & development
- University institutions
- Industry companies
- Publication
- Animal experiments
- Clinical trials
- Patents
- Process of Approval
- Product to market
Examples from Applied BiologyFrom Research to Application - Translation
Thank you for your attention !