Biotechnology for the Livestock Industry

     Meat and milk from farmed animals including livestock (cattle, goat and buffalo) and poultry are sources of high quality protein and essential amino acids, minerals, fats and fatty acids, readily available vitamins, small quantities of carbohydrates and other bioactive components.¹ The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2008 estimate shows that meat consumption has grown with increase in population. The average global per capita meat consumption is 42.1 kg/year with 82.9 kg/year in developed and 31.1 kg/year in developing countries in a recommended daily animal-sourced protein per capita of 50 kg per year². Milk on the other hand is consumed in various forms: liquid, cheese, powder, and cream at a global per capita consumption of 108 kg per person per year which is way below the FAO recommended daily consumption of 200 kg.

Some poor countries may not be able to sustain these levels of meat and milk requirement, leading to malnutrition. Demand for meat and milk production is also expected to double in 2050 in developing countries, where population is expected to double. Thus, increasing production and the safe processing and marketing of meat and milk, and their products are big challenges for livestock producers.

Biotechnology is being harnessed in various aspects of the livestock industry to hasten breed development for improved animal health and welfare, enhanced reproduction, and improved nutritional quality and safety of animal-derived foods.

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Protect yourself and others from COVID-19

If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!

What to do to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19

• Maintain at least a 1-metre distance between yourself and others to reduce your risk of infection when they cough, sneeze or speak. Maintain an even greater distance between yourself and others when indoors. The further away, the better.
• Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal are essential to make masks as effective as possible.

Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:

• Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.
• Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.
• When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin.
• Don’t use masks with valves.

• For specifics on what type of mask to wear and when, read our Q&A and watch our  videos. There is also a Q&A focused on masks and children.
• Find out more about the science of how COVID-19 infects people and our bodies react by watching or reading this interview.
• For specific advice for decision makers, see WHO’s technical guidance.

 

How to make your environment safer

• Avoid the 3Cs: spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact.
• Outbreaks have been reported in restaurants, choir practices, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship where people have gathered, often in crowded indoor settings where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing.
• The risks of getting COVID-19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity. These environments are where the virus appears to spread by respiratory droplets or aerosols more efficiently, so taking precautions is even more important.
• Meet people outside. Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor ones, particularly if indoor spaces are small and without outdoor air coming in.
  • For more information on how to hold events like family gatherings, children’s football games and family occasions, read our Q&A on small public gatherings.
• Avoid crowded or indoor settings but if you can’t, then take precautions:
• Open a window. Increase the amount of ‘natural ventilation’ when indoors.
• WHO has published Q&As on ventilation and air conditioning for both the general public and people who manage public spaces and buildings.
• Wear a mask (see above for more details).

 

Don’t forget the basics of good hygiene

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. This eliminates germs including viruses that may be on your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately into a closed bin and wash your hands. By following good ‘respiratory hygiene’, you protect the people around you from viruses, which cause colds, flu and COVID-19.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently especially those which are regularly touched, such as door handles, faucets and phone screens.

 

What to do if you feel unwell

• Know the full range of symptoms of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include loss of taste or smell, aches and pains, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, red eyes, diarrhoea, or a skin rash.
• Stay home and self-isolate even if you have minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Call your health care provider or hotline for advice. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house or have someone near you, wear a medical mask to avoid infecting others.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Call by telephone first, if you can and follow the directions of your local health authority.
• Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Local and national authorities and public health units are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

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Crime scene biotech

Biotechnology is used by forensic scientists to collect or process trace evidence such as hair, skin, blood or semen samples, which is found at crime scenes.

Collecting evidence

When a crime is discovered the scene is examined in order to look for clues that will identify suspects and provide evidence for the courts. In New Zealand, evidence is collected from crime scenes by police officers or scientists from Environmental Science and Research (ESR). They must follow strict guidelines while gathering evidence, so that samples are not contaminated or degraded and their analysis is admissible in court.

Detecting evidence

Crime scene evidence can include a wide variety of substances such as hair, bodily fluids, fibers, paint chips, soils or gunshot residue. For substances to be useful as evidence they are usually compared to similar items from suspects, because of this, particular care is taken to ensure all substance are collected carefully and kept free of contamination.

In some cases, forensic scientists use biotechnology techniques to help detect important evidence. For example, a chemical called luminol, which glows brightly in the presence of blood, is used to detect small amounts of blood that are not visible to the naked eye.

DNA profiling

Every individual has unique DNA, making it very useful for identifying people involved in a crime.

Get information sheet: DNA profiling

DNA can be isolated from a wide range of evidence left at a crime scene – from skin, hair and semen samples to bacteria in dirt!

Analysis of evidence

Evidence at a crime scene may only be found in small, trace amounts so forensic scientists use a variety of techniques including microscopic analysis, mass spectrometry, chromatography and DNA analysis.

Once samples have been collected from a crime scene, ESR carry out forensic analysis on them. They might analyse skin, blood or urine looking for the presence of drugs or process DNA evidence in the hope of identifying someone.

Interpreting the evidence

The results of these analyses need to be interpreted. This could mean comparing them to a standard reference, such as legal blood-alcohol limits for driving a car, or comparing DNA profiles of victims or suspects. New Zealand has a national DNA databank where DNA profiles are stored.

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Significance in food production

biotechnology- Significance in food production

The significance of the application of modern biotechnology in the area of food production and its resultant impact in terms of human health and development can not be undermined. As the world is faced with ever increasing population and more and more food shortage and regional imbalances, new technologies and techniques are being developed to enhance production and increase the shelf life of perishable items. It is in this direction that new research initiatives in the field of green biotechnology are being made to enhance productivity and nutrition value of food items.

Foods produced through modern biotechnology can be categorized as follows:

1. Foods consisting of or containing living/viable organisms, e.g. maize.

2. Foods derived from or containing ingredients derived from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), e.g. flour, food protein products, or oil from GM soybeans, wheat etc.

3. Foods containing single ingredients or additives produced by GM microorganisms (GMMs), e.g. colours, vitamins and essential amino acids.

4. Foods containing ingredients processed by enzymes produced through GMMs, e.g. high-fructose corn syrup produced from starch, using the enzyme glucose isomerase (product of a GMM).

The first genetically modified food item -GM food (delayed-ripening tomato) was introduced on the US market in the mid-1990s. Since then, GM strains of maize, soybean, rape and cotton have been adopted by a number of countries and marketed internationally. In addition, GM varieties of papaya, potato, rice, squash and sugar beet have been trialed or released. It is estimated that GM crops cover almost 4% of total global arable land.

The development of GM organisms has revolutionized the scenario of world food production. It has also offered the potential for increased agricultural productivity or improved nutritional value that can contribute directly to enhancing human health and development. From a health perspective, there may also be indirect benefits, such as reduced agricultural chemical usage and enhanced farm income, and improved crop sustainability and food security, particularly in developing countries.

While the introduction of GM crops has undoubtedly changed the agricultural scenario and led to significant impact on human development, it has also raised various social, cultural and ethical issues and reluctance on the part of various countries and governments to accept the GM food even in times of grave needs such as famine and drought. While some countries have established premarket regulatory standards for risk assessment of each and every food item before being launched in the market for application, there may be a case of a consistent and uniform international regulatory structure so as to ensure that such food items conform to a set of standards which are fair and equitable. This will also help quell a number of misgivings and doubts in the minds of countries yet to benefit from these food items.

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biotech jobs

Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) is an autonomous institution fully funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (www.rgcb.res.in). RGCB has a major research program with the International Agency for Research Against Cancer (World Health Organization) on Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) including a state of the art efficacy-testing center for HPV vaccines.

RGCB invites applications for the position of Research Scientist or Visiting Scientist or Senior Research Associate or Post Doctoral Fellow from persons with a PhD in Life Sciences or MD in Virology, Pathology or Microbiology with previous experience in HPV research, diagnosis, detection methods, serology, cytology, pathobiology, etc. The job involves management of the HPV research facility, developing new HPV research programs and providing support to vaccine trials (antibody titers, genotyping, immune assays, etc). The position offer and monthly emoluments will depend on experience and performance record (number and quality of publications, track record, etc). The position of Research Scientist will be on the terms and conditions laid down by the Ministry of Science & Technology (Government of India). Persons in permanent employment can also be considered on deputation as per Government of India regulations and conditions. The position is temporary and will be for an initial period of one year, extendable to three years based on performance. Further extension beyond 3 years will depend on continuation of the grant from WHO and other institutional requirements. Applications with Curriculum Vitae, List of Publications & other achievements and three letters of reference may be submitted to the Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014

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biotechnology journal

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In addition to maintaining the GenBank® nucleic acid sequence database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides analysis and retrieval resources for the data in GenBank and other biological data made available through NCBI's Web site. NCBI resources include Entrez, the Entrez Programming Utilities, My NCBI, PubMed, PubMed Central, Entrez Gene, the NCBI Taxonomy Browser, BLAST, BLAST Link(BLink), Electronic PCR, OrfFinder, Spidey, Splign, RefSeq, UniGene, HomoloGene, ProtEST, dbMHC, dbSNP, Cancer Chromosomes, Entrez Genome, Genome Project and related tools, the Trace and Assembly Archives, the Map Viewer, Model Maker, Evidence Viewer, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), Viral Genotyping Tools, Influenza Viral Resources, HIV-1/Human Protein Interaction Database, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Entrez Probe, GENSAT, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA), the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB), the Conserved Domain Database (CDD), the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART) and the PubChem suite of small molecule databases. Augmenting many of the Web applications are custom implementations of the BLAST program optimized to search specialized data sets. These resources can be accessed through the NCBI home page at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

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biotech robotics

Biotechnology material handling applications are among some of the fastest growing areas of robotics. Drug discovery and vaccines research have moved material handling robotics from the factory floor to academic laboratories and to research and development departments of biotechnology firms.

Biotech vs. Non-Biotech
Biotech is not just another industrial material handling applications. While there are some similarities between biotech material handling and non-biotech work cells, some major differences exist.

‘‘The major difference of biotech material handling applications is the need for flexibility and multi-tasking,’‘ said Michael Perreault. ‘‘Biotech work cells have the ability to run several processes simultaneously.’‘ Perreault is vice president of Midmac Systems, Inc., an engineering services and a robotic system integrator located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Perreault added that biotech work cells tend to have smaller batch runs than non-biotech material handling applications.

Trevor Jones of Thermo CRS agrees with Perreault for the need of more flexibility in biotech over non-biotech work cells. Jones is director of OEM business development at Thermo CRS, a system integrator and robot manufacturer in Burlington, Ontario.

‘‘The major difference between biotech and non-biotech material handling work cells is the use of software. Biotech applications require more flexibility than traditional material handling operations,’‘ Jones said. ‘‘In an industrial work cell, designers are much more concerned with achieving a fixed optimum output so they install dedicated end-effecters for achieving a single purpose at that time in a manufacturing plant.’‘

In biotech systems, software manages the throughput of each micro-titer plate to best utilize the available hardware. Biotech hardware has to deal with frequently changing assays. It is common to run multiple assays through a system simultaneously.

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