Traditional & Modern Biotechnology

Question 1

What is Biotechnology?

Answer 1

The use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products

Question 2

Research into which areas was the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on?

Answer 2

• Viral genome sequencing
• Spike protein
• Lipid nanoparticles

Question 3

What are mRNA vaccines?

Answer 3

• Lipid nanoparticle containing mRNA
• Nanoparticle injected and mRNA delivered to human cells where mRNA is transcribed into protein

Question 4

What are some traditional types of biotechnology (pre-1953)?

Answer 4

• Fermentation (cheese, beer, vinegar)
• Plants & Animal breeding/domestication

Question 5

What are some modern types of biotechnology (post-1953)

Answer 5

• Recombinant DNA
• Genomics
• Cell structure
• Manipulation of living organisms

Question 6

Who pioneered the concept that the gut microbiota can have beneficial effects on health?

Answer 6

Elie (Ilya) Metchnikoff

Question 7

What is BLUE biotechnology?

Answer 7

The marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology

Question 8

What is GREEN biotechnology?

Answer 8

Biotechnology applied to agricultural processes

Question 9

What is RED biotechnology?

Answer 9

Biotechnology applied to medical processes

Question 10

What is WHITE biotechnology?

Answer 10

Industrial biotechnology; biotechnology applied to industrial processes

Question 11

When was recombinant human insulin (Humulin) first produced?

Answer 11

1978

Question 12

What are Biologics?

Answer 12

Protein-based drugs

Most are anticlonal antibodies (mAb)

Question 13

What are CAR T-Cell therapies used for?

Answer 13

Treating lymphoma and leukemia

Question 14

When was CRISPR/Cas9 first discovered in bacteria?

Answer 14

1987

Question 15

Where did corn originate?

Answer 15

Mexico ~12,000 years ago

Question 16

What is a TNF?

Answer 16

Antibodies causing inflammatory response.
Too much can lead to disorders

Question 17

What do Monoclonal Antibodies do?

Answer 17

They recognise one single antibody

Question 18

What is CRISPR/Cas9?

Answer 18

A form of adaptive immunity to phage infection

Question 19

What type of enzyme is Cas9?

Answer 19

A DNA endonuclease
(controls where DNA is cut)

Question 20

What is the structure of CRISPR and what does it do?

Answer 20

Series of proteins that can force DNA repair

Question 21

What does CAR-T do?

Answer 21

They target T-cells to attack cancer

Question 22

How can we avoid rejection of foreign T-cells?

Answer 22

By knocking down expression of proteins that would be recognised to be foreign

Question 23

How many people does malaria infect every year?

Answer 23

> 200 million

Question 24

What is Artemisinin?

Answer 24

An antimalarial drug that reduced mortality between 20-30%

Question 25

Who discovered Artemisinin?

Answer 25

Tu Youyou

Question 26

What was Craig Ventner involved in?

Answer 26

Sequencing 2nd human genome