An Introduction to Biotechnology. the Science, Technology and Medical Applications

Summary

This book is a biotechnology textbook aimed at undergraduates. It covers the basics of cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and introduces laboratory techniques specific to the technologies addressed in the book; it addreses specific biotechnologies at both the theoretical and applications levels.

Biotechnology is a field that encompasses both basic science and engineering. There are currently few, if any, biotechnology textbooks that adequately address both areas. Engineering books are equation-heavy and are written in a manner that is very difficult for the non-engineer to understand. Numerous other attempts to present biotechnology are written in a flowery manner with little substance. The author holds one of the first PhDs granted in both biosciences and bioengineering. He is more than an author enamoured with the wow-factor associated with biotechnology; he is a practicing researcher in gene therapy, cell/tissue engineering, and other areas and has been involved with emerging technologies for over a decade. Having made the assertion that there is no acceptable text for teaching a course to introduce biotechnology to both scientists and engineers, the author committed himself to resolving the issue by writing his own.

Key Features

• The book is of interest to a wide audience because it includes the necessary background for understanding how a technology works. It is easy to find interesting technologies, but it is hard to find the information needed for understanding the technology in a single place
• Engineering principles are addressed, but in such a way that an instructor can skip the sections without hurting course content
• The author has been involved with many biotechnologies through his own direct research experiences. The text is more than a compendium of information - it is an integrated work written by an author who has experienced first-hand the nuances associated with many of the major biotechnologies of general interest today. These technologies include: gene delivery - design of non-vial delivery vehicles; gene therapy - targeted nanoparticles for targeted cancer cell death; cellular engineering - creating novel cell lines with predetermined properties; tissue engineering; stem cell engineering - guidance of stem cell differentiation to tissue engineering applications; cloning - the creation of genetically identical animals for potential applications to regenerative medicine; and bioreactor design
• Intellectual property issues are discussed
• The transition from the research laboratory into clinical testing is included

Content

• THE CELL
• Plasma membrane - phospholipids, proteins, cholesterol; lipids (fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids); proteins (amino acids; protein structure; receptors)
• Prokaryotic outer barriers - cell wall (NAMs, NAGs, crosslinking); possibility of an outer plasma membrane (Gram's stain)
• The cytoplasm - more proteins: enzymes (enzymes are catalysts, enzymes depend on proper protein folding, enzymes used in science, enzymes used in industry; vesicles (endosomes, lyosomes, other organelles, to complete the picture)
• The nucleus - organization of the genome (chromosomes, DNA fibers, nucleosomes, DNA strands, RNA)
• Prokaryotic genome organization - circular genome, attached to inner plasma membrane
• The central dogma - transcription (mRNA); translation (the ribosome, tRNA and the production of polynucleotides, post-translational modification); reverse transcription
• The life of a cell - the cell cycle (synthesis (S) phase, mitosis (M), gap phases, cell cycle control); growth in culture (culture media, the growth curve, scale-up)
• BIOTECHNOLOGY: ALLPICATIONS TO AND OF THE CELL
• Genetic engineering - genes (exons, introns, promoters, enhancers); genetic alteration (restriction enzymes, Klenow fragment, DNA ligase, CIP, PCR); obtaining usable quantities of plasmid (selection markers, plasmid amplification, plasmid purification); verification of product (spectrophotometry, Beer's law, gel electrophoresis, sequencing, PCR)
• Gene delivery models - viral (adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, herpesvirus, lentivirus/retrovirus); non-viral (chemical, physical)
• Gene delivery cargo - DNA, RNA, siRNA; uses (reporters, make proteins of interest, knockdown); targeting (ligand/antibody, expression)
• Fluorescence - quantum yield, Stokes' shift, brightness; FRET; FISH
• Recombinant Proteins
• Biofuels - from cellulose degradation (biochemistry of cellulose); from fermentation (biochemistry of glycolysis and fermentation); from photosynthesis (biochemistry of the Calvin Cycle); end product considerations (energy value of product, storage, distribution)
• Tissue engineering - matrices; cells, bioreactors
• Stem cells - cells with potential (totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent); growth and proliferation; differentiation
• Transgenics
• Cloning

Readership

Textbook for undergraduates on courses in bioscience and biotechnology; practitioners needing an introduction to the field

Author

Godbey, W. T. Dr
The author is the Paul H. and Donna D. Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering at Tulane University. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Southern Methodist University in 1988. After a successful period that involved starting his own software design and development company in Dallas, Texas, he joined the fields of science and engineering and earned his PhD as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow from the Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering at Rice University in 2000. From 2000-2003 he was a postdoctoral fellow at Childrens Hospital, Boston and Harvard Medical School. He joined the Tulane University faculty in 2003.