Modern Biotechnology

Applications and

Biosafety issues

Mr. Omena Bernard Ojuederie

Department of Biotechnology

College of Food Sciences

Bells University of Technology

Biosafety issues

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OUTLINE

� Biotechnology

� Modern Biotechnology/ Recombinant DNA Technology

� Applications of Modern Biotechnology (GMOs)� Applications of Modern Biotechnology (GMOs)

� Global trends

� Industrial perspectives (Nigeria)

� Biosafety

� Cartagena Protocol/Biosafety system in Nigeria

Biotechnology

Biotechnology� Any technological application that uses biological

systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, tomake or modify products or processes for specificuse.

-United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity-United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity(1992)

Biotechnology: A 10,000 years journeyBiotechnology: A 10,000 years journey

Bread3000BC

Brewing /Fermentation

6000BC

Domestication

of plants

8000BC

Mendel’s laws

1865-1901

Cell theory - 1839

Plant breeding /Seed trading

1742

Leeuwenhoek

(Bacteria)

1683

Plant tissue cultured1922 - 1934

Discovery of Agrobacterium - 1907

Bt discovered - 1901

Bt discovered - 1901

Cheese / dairyproducts

1000BC

Cheese / dairyproducts

1000BC

1st transgenic plants

Clone Bt toxin gene1981

Plant tissue cultured1922 - 1934

Watson & CrickDNA double helix

1st virus free plants1953

Schell & Van MontaguDiscover plasmids in A tumefaciens

1974

Biotechnology: A 10,000 years journeyBiotechnology: A 10,000 years journey

Virus resistance

1986

1st transgenic plants

1983

Human insulin produced1982

Herbicide resistantsoybean, maize, canola

Bt cotton

commercialized1996

Bt cotton field trials

2008

• SELECTIVE BREEDING FOR IMPROVED FOOD PRODUCTION

• BREEDING FOR DESIRABLE CROP TRAITS

Conventional breeding as a means of improving agriculturalyield and production of better crops are ancient humanpractices of biotechnology

DESIRABLE CROP TRAITS

• BREEDING WILD PLANTS TO PRODUCE MODERN ONES

• BREEDING TO ALTER DISEASE VULRABILITY

• etc

� Modern biotechnology is defined in the CartagenaProtocol on Biosafety to mean the application of in-vitro nucleic acid techniques, or fusion of cellsbeyond the taxonomic family, that overcomenatural,physiological,reproductive / recombinationbarriers.

Modern Biotechnology

barriers.

� It is unique as it allows scientists to preciselyintroduce a desired trait by inserting only specificgenes into plants and animals.

Genetic engineering of plantsGenetic engineering of animalsGenetic engineering of microbes

Recombinant DNA technologyMonoclonal antibody productionEmbryo transfer in animals

Modern BiotechnologyIn

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Embryo transfer in animalsPlant tissue culture

Biological nitrogen fixationMicrobial fermentation

Traditional Biotechnology

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Increasing Cost

Source: Persely (1990)Figure 1. Gradient of biotechnologies

Tools of modern biotechnology� Modern Biotechnology tools in research and

development deal with the following components

� Genomics and Proteomics

� Bioinformatics

� Transformation� Transformation

� Molecular breeding

� Molecular diagnostics

� Vaccine Technology

� Tissue culture

� DNA-marker technology

Genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissueculture technologies with applications in biology,agriculture, food science, and medicine……

Molecules

gene isolation

plasmid DNA

DNA cloning of specific fragments into a self-

replicating genetic element so that the DNA

molecule can be reproduced gene isolation

transformation

transformation

bacteria

Source: Tabien, R. 2000

Basic rDNA technology procedures

PCR

Recombinant DNA

Cloning

rDNA Technology

� an organism whose genetic material has been

altered using genetic engineering techniques.

� Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are

organisms which have inserted DNA that

Genetically Modified Organism(GMO)

organisms which have inserted DNA thatoriginated in a different species

� an organism resulting from modernbiotechnology broadly equivalent togenetically modified organism.

� Living Modified Organisms are capable ofgrowing, and typically refers to agriculturalcrops.

Living Modified Organism (LMO)

crops.

� Genetically Modified Organisms include bothLMOs and organisms which are not capableof growing.

� Agrobacteriumtumefaciens that causescrown gall in plants isnow used to conferprotection (insect andherbicide resistance).

Applications of modern biotechnology

� First-generation Transgenic Crops: This involves

� Improvement in agronomic traits, such as better resistance to pests and diseases.

� Second-Generation Transgenic Crops: This includes product quality improvements for nutrition and industrial purposes. Examples are oilseeds with improved

Categories of transgenic crops

industrial purposes. Examples are oilseeds with improved fatty acid profiles, staple foods with enhanced contents of essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins;

� Third-Generation Transgenic Crops: These transgenic

crops are designed to produce special substances for pharmaceutical or industrial purposes. Biopharmaceuticals/biopharming.

� Transfer of a gene from a soil bacteria that codes for a proteinprotein

� Protein becomes a toxin and kills selected insects

Bt Corn resistant tocorn borer

Corn borer damage in corn

http://www.goldenrice.org/

riceenrichedin beta caroteneor provitaminAThe first genetically

modified product was Flavr Savrtomato developed by Calgene, Inc, a biotechnology company in Califonia.

Some GM Foods on the market

Global trends

Adoption of biotechnology for crop improvement is on the increase

Global trends

Global trends

� GM crops have directly contributed toalleviating poverty for some 10 million farmersglobally

� The biotechnology industry has more than

Global trends

� The biotechnology industry has more thantripled in size since 1992, with revenues up to$39.2 billion between 1996-2010

� About 500 publicly held biotechnologycompanies in the United States 19 out of 29biotech countries are Developing-planted 50%of global area

� According to the ISAAA report on the globalstatus of commercialized biotech/GM Crops in2010, the area used for biotechnology cropswas on the increase

between 1996 to 2010 with only three

Global trends

between 1996 to 2010 with only threeAfrican countries

�South Africa,

� Burkina Faso and

�Egypt

growing biotech crops by small-scale farmersto meet the needs citizenry.

� Green Biotechnology: agricultural biotechnology

� Red Biotechnology: pharmaceutical and medical biotechnology.

�Antibiotics,

�Vaccines,

Biotechnology Industry Organization

�Hormone production

� Biodiagnostics,

� Biopharmaceuticals

�Biovaccinces,

�Gene therapy.

Medical/pharmaceutical applications

Use of modern biotechnology to cure sickle cell anemia

� Biopharmaceuticals-Production of drugs andvaccines using plants as bioreactors, e.g humangrowth hormone with the gene inserted into thechloroplast DNA of tobacco plants, hepatitis Bvirus.

� Development of vaccine against HIV,

Medical/pharmaceutical applications

� Development of vaccine against HIV,

� Molecular diagnosis for genetic diseases

� DNA fingerprinting and paternity testing

� Gene therapy-manipulation of DNA to tx diseasesby altering individuals genes. (CF, PKU) ETHICALISSUES

� White Biotechnology: industrial biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology- the development of large-scale bioenergy refineries, involves dedicatedgenetically modified crops as well as the large-scalebioprocessing and fermentation as is used in some

Biotechnology Industry Organization

bioprocessing and fermentation as is used in somepharmaceutical production.

� the application of biotechnology for industrial

purposes includes,

� Manufacturing: pulp and paper, cotton, leather

�use of transgenic plants for phyto-remediation

� alternative energy (biofuel production from plants)

�Production of biogas from organic wastes.

� Declining agricultural growth

� Population explosion

� Worsening economic development

� Widespread poverty and food

The Industrial perspective(Nigerian Situation)

� Widespread poverty and food insecurity

� 2001: NABDA established

� 2003: Six (6) National Biotechnology Centers ofExcellence established in the universities (one eachin the six geo‐political zones across the country)

� 2003: Nigeria Agriculture & Biotechnology Project

Historical Development of Modern Biotechnology in Nigeria

‐

� 2003: Nigeria Agriculture & Biotechnology Project(NABP) launched

� 2005: 1st National training workshop on plantgenetic transformation held at the AdvancedBiotechnology Laboratory, SHESTCO.

� 2005: 1st Biosafety review of application forconfined field trial of transgenic cassava

•The project commenced in October 2009•Funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation& others•Successful Confined Field Trials completed in 2010(Beta-carotene); 2011 (Iron)

www.supersorghum.org

– The project commenced in Nigeria in 2009– First Confined Field Trial in July 2011 for introgression of traits into 3adapted Nigerian Varieties.– Harvest of the First CFT completed in December 2011– Proof of concept and Identification of traits ongoing

In terms of tonnage, sorghum is Africa's second most important cereal. The continent produces about 20 million tonnes of sorghum per annum, about one-third of the world crop.

� The project commenced in Nigeria in July 2008

� Funded by AATF aided by USAID and others

� Successful Confined Field Trials 2009-2011

Maruca-Resistant CowpeaAfrican Agricultural

Technology Foundation

� Containment Trial in the Containment facility commences in 2012

The Nigerian Government approved confined fieldtrials on cowpea Maruca resistance at IAR-SAMARUZaria to stop the menace of the legume pod borerMaruca vitrata

Maruca pod borer at work

So

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B

each

African Agricultural Technology Foundation maruca-resistant cowpea: frequently asked questions [http://www.aatf-africa.org/userfiles/CowpeaFAQ.pdf] webcite

� NABDA in collaborationwith TRINITY BIOTECHof IRELAND has set uplocally, a manufacturingfacility for production offacility for production ofHIV/AIDS kits to befollowed later byMalaria and Hepatitis-BDiagnostic kits

Biosafety� Modern biotechnology has the potential to

generate benefits for humankind and contribute tosustainable development.

� Nevertheless, there are concerns that livingmodified organisms resulting from biotechnologymay have negative effects on biodiversity and

Biosafety

may have negative effects on biodiversity andhuman health.

� Biosafety refers to the need to protect humanhealth and the environment from the possibleadverse effects of the products of modernbiotechnology

� Mission

�To promote the basic tenets of biosafety asenunciated in the Cartagena protocol on biosafety

�To enforce Nigeria National biosafety regulatoryregimes to ensure the safe application and use of

Mission & Vision of Biosafety in Nigeria

regimes to ensure the safe application and use ofbiotechnology products.

oVision

�To ensure that the process and procedures ofmodern biotechnology are undertaken withinlimits of a regulatory system that assures its safeuse, protection of Nigerian biodiversity and withminimal risks to human health and environment

� To determine in advance when hazards to humanhealth and natural systems will result if anyparticular GMO is released into the environment.

� To anticipate when a GMO or any of its product(will be harmful if consumed in food.

� To discern whether a GMO actually will yield the

Goals of Biosafety

� To discern whether a GMO actually will yield thebenefits it was designed to provide and lastly

� To make as certain as possible that hazards will notoccur when GMOs are transported intentionally orinternationally, among different ecosystems andnations.

� Risks for animal and human health: toxicity & food/feed quality/safety; allergies; pathogen drug resistance

� Risks for the environment: gene flow; invasiveness( of GMOs might become predominant); susceptibility of non-target organisms , changes to biodiversity.

Topics of concern

non-target organisms , changes to biodiversity.

� Horizontal gene transfer : genetic pollution through pollen or seed dispersal & transfer of foreign gene to micro-organisms (DNA uptake) or generation of new live viruses by recombination (transcapsidation, complementation, etc.)

� Risks for agriculture:resistance/tolerance of target

organisms; super weeds; alteration ofnutritional value (attractiveness ofthe organism to pests),loss offamiliarity/changes in agriculturalpractice

Topics of concern

� General concerns: ethical issues (eg.labeling); risk assessment/riskmanagement; general biosafety;public attitudes, perception;legislation, monitoring; socio-economics (eg. situation of poorfarmers in developing countries); IPR(Intellectual Property Rights); GMtraceability / commodity segregation

Biosafety bibliography database

In 2002, US President George Bush accused the European Union of blocking efforts to fight famine in Africa because of "unfounded and unscientific " fears over genetically modified foods.

� Biosafety has similarly been defined as “the avoidance of risk to human health and safety, and to the conservation of the environment, as a result of the use for research and commerce of infectious or genetically modified organisms” (Zaid, 2001).

� Relevant scientific disciplines underpin biosafety studies ---molecular biology, plant breeding, genetics, plant pathology, agronomy, weed science, entomology and ecology, among others.

� In 1992 the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) came into force.

� Its objectives include

�the conservation of biological diversity,

�the sustainable use of its components and the fair

and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out ofand equitable sharing of the benefits arising out ofthe utilization of genetic resources”.

o It identified the emergence of GMOs/LMOs as agroup of items produced by modern biotechnologythat required special attention due to theirpotential adverse impacts on biodiversity andhuman health

http://www.icgeb.org/~bsafesrv/library/intlorg/cbd.html

� The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety wasnegotiated and became available for signaturein 2000.

� It was signed by Nigeria in 2000 and ratified in2003.

� The protocol came into force on the 11th of� The protocol came into force on the 11th ofSeptember 2003 and as at 2007, has 138signatory countries.

Biosafety Bill� Developed under United Nations Environment Program-Global

Environment Facility (UNEP-GEF) National Biosafety Frameworkproject of 2002-2006.

� The guidelines permit for the testing of GM crops for researchpurposes but not for commercialization

� Passed by the National Assembly (NASS) and presently awaitingpresidential assent.

Biosafety Bill

Passed by the National Assembly (NASS) and presently awaitingpresidential assent.

� When passed into law, it will give a holistic approach to the practiceand regulation of modern biotechnology activities in Nigeria andprevent her from serving as a dumping ground for illegally GMOs.

� In the absence of the National Biosafety law, Nigeria may faceinternational sanctions for failing to abide by the protocol it signedand ratified. There will be lack of confidence in the practice ofmodern biotechnology.

www://nig.biosafetyclearing house.net

�Biotechnology as a process is not likely to stop, butits products can be modified and adopted as foundsuitable, beneficial or useful

�Hence, the issue is not that of total adoption orrejection of Biotechnology and its products, butthat of determining most suitable and appropriate

Are there alternatives to modernbiotechnology?

that of determining most suitable and appropriateuse

�The scientific facts indicate that biotech productsare safe, and that their benefits far outweigh therisks

�The research and development process forgenetically-enhanced foods, drugs etc is extremelyprecise, heavily regulated, and carefully controlled.

� Nigeria’s population is escalating by the day and mayreach 250 million by 2025: Food production must alsoincrease by 60 % to keep pace.

� Technology transfer to Nigeria will strengthen ourtechnological competence to assimilate, further

Recommendations

technological competence to assimilate, furtherdevelop, and effectively apply the technologies forenhanced agricultural productivity.

� Political will for R&D of biotechnology is imperative.

� Policy and institutional arrangements necessary

� Biosafety units should be set up at Institutions &Universities utilizing modern biotechnology

� The public need to be educated on biotechnology

�Biotechnology is set to play a pivotal role inthe future of the medical, agricultural,environmental, food pharmaceutical andindustrial sectors of the economy.

Conclusion

�The concern should be on how to tap intomodern biotechnology, maximize thebenefits of the technology and minimize therisks in terms of environmental harm andhuman health risks

� Biosafety laws must be put in place to ensure that thecrops released are environmentally safe.

� The end users the farmers need to be educated on thebenefits of modern biotechnology in crop improvementas their confidence in Government would hastenacceptability.

� Well trained scientists in this expanding field ofbiological science are therefore required to enhanceeconomic growth and sustain food security in SubSaharan Africa.

� For Nigeria to achieve its vision 20:20:20, scientificresearch must be taken very seriously and accordedpriority in funding, encouragement, recognition andutilization of research findings.

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