Digital Micro Imaging For Biotechnology Research

We humans have been harnessing biological processes to make life a little sweeter ever since the first developments in agriculture. Tapping into life's processes to make things such as cheese, bread, and beer (the essentials) has been going on for thousands of years. Now, there is a whole area of digital micro imaging for biotechnology research which encompasses the vast applications of these biological processes.

The field of applied biology called biotechnology uses living organisms and bioprocesses to do truly amazing things. Biotechnology is used in engineering, technology, medicine, and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology is also used in genetically modified foods, transgenic crops and animals, biopharmaceuticals, recombinant DNA technology, and bioremediation.

Leading companies in micro imaging research are using new technology that allows for the extraction of even the smallest biomaterials from heterogeneous tissue and cell colonies. The secret behind the method is a pure, contact-free optical technique that is gentle enough to facilitate micro dissection and the manipulation of living cells in culture. The best digital microscopes come equipped with the latest in laser technology. This allows for contact-free and contamination-free specimen capture and micro dissection.

Researchers who use digital micro imaging for biotechnology research report a vast increase in workflow speed. The image is displayed using an integrated camera onto a monitor or projection screen. Integrated color management ensures for brilliant images in true color. By bypassing the need for eyepieces, digital micro imaging technology avoids painful muscle tension and eye strain. Something that travels faster than ever in the world today is information. With integrated E-mail function and remote viewing, sharing work and discussing work with partners is easier than ever. Now, researchers can get the work they need to get done faster, wherever they are.

In modern medicine, biotechnology has promising applications in a number of areas. Drug production and pharmaceuticals have both made ready use of biotechnology. Modern methods of manufacturing pharmaceutical products frequently make use of biotechnology. Biotechnology first saw use in pharmaceutical manufacturing with recombinant DNA technology to modify Escherichia coli bacteria. This resulted in the production of human insulin.

Before this technique was discovered, insulin was extracted from the pancreas glands of cattle and pigs. Although animal-derived insulin is mostly effective in treating diabetes, allergic reactions were noted to sometimes occur. This can be accredited to the subtle differences between insulin derived from humans and farm animals.

Genetic researchers were able to produce two genes for each of the two protein chains that comprise the insulin molecule. The genes are then inserted into plasmids among a group of genes that are activated by lactose. The result is two insulin-producing genes activated by lactose. By inserting the recombinant plasmids into Escherichia coli bacteria and combining the two protein chains, the bacteria produces as much as 100,000 molecules of human insulin.

Before recombinant DNA was used to modify bacteria and produce the human growth hormone, the hormone had to be extracted from the pituitary gland of cadavers. Unlike animal derived-insulin, animal growth hormones have no therapeutic upshot for mankind to date. The hormone was constantly seeing significant shortages since it took fifty cadavers to supply a single year's supply of the growth hormone.

Digital micro imaging for biotechnology research is also used in gene therapy, an important process involved in treating cancer. The technology and techniques behind gene therapy are still in developmental stages; however, it has been used with some success for treating or curing genetic and acquired diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Biotechnology has also found use in genetic testing, such as prenatal diagnostic screening. There are many benefits of using this technology to test and learn about a fetus. Presymptomatic testing for a number of different diseases and disorders is possible, and the sex of the future baby can also be determined.

One of the top digital imaging companies providing modalities specifically designed for preclinical research such as scientific digital imaging, in vivo testing micro imaging, in vivo high-resolution imaging,and digital imaging system.

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Biotechnology - Fast Emerging Sector of India

Biotechnology is considered to be a quickly emerging and far-reaching technology. It's a branch of science that may play a major role in the development and growth of India. Biotechnology refers to any technological application that uses biological systems and forms in a governable manner, to not only produce new and useful processes or products but also modify the existing ones. It benefits both mankind and other life forms, such as microorganisms. Besides, biotechnology helps maintain an optimum ecological balance by lowering the amount of hydrocarbons and controlling pollution.

Biotechnology in India is one of the most rapidly growing knowledge-based sectors. Today, it's being increasingly used to design and develop unique, improved varieties of pharmaceutical products, crops, fertilizers, processed foods, a plethora of chemicals, cosmetics, growth enhancers, health care aids, and environment-related substances. The biotech segment in India has been making fast strides on the world platform. India is currently producing and marketing many therapeutic biotech drugs and vaccines. From 2005-2006, the Indian biotech sector recorded an impressive revenue of approximately US$ 1.07 billion and registered a 36.55% growth.

India has diverse biological resources. Biotechnology offers opportunities to convert these resources into employment opportunities and economic wealth. Several factors create an impetus for India to produce excellent capabilities in the domain of biotechnology. These factors include a strong pool of scientists and engineers, a large reservoir of scientific human resources, affordable manufacturing capabilities, numerous medical colleges, educational and training institutes providing diplomas and degrees in biotechnology, a large number of national research laboratories engaging thousands of scientists, fast developing clinical capabilities, and a vibrant drugs and pharmaceutical industry.

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in India is regulated by the Ministry of Science and Technology and is a top authority responsible for the development of the biotech industry. This department is responsible for planning, promoting, and organizing different biotechnological activities and programs in India. It also offers grants to universities, national research laboratories, and research foundations associated with biotechnology-related activities.

The key responsibilities of the DBT include:

1. Promoting large-scale use of biotechnology
2. Acting as a government agent for importing fresh recombinant DNA-based biotechnological processes, technologies, and products
3. Building infrastructure facilities to aid R&D and production
4. Initiating technical and scientific efforts associated with biotechnology
5. Promoting international collaborations to expound the knowledge base of the biotech sector in India
6. Providing bio-safety guidelines for laboratory research, applications, and production
7. Serving as a nodal agency for collecting and disseminating biotechnology-related information

Furthermore, the Indian government has set up the National Bio-Resource Development Board (NBDB) under the department to determine the broad-policy framework for efficient use of biotechnological research and development.

The key functions of this board include:

1. Promoting how bio-resources add value and strengthening bioinformatics
2. Formulating predictive groupings of biological resources via well-developed molecular lineages
3. Providing efficient conservation strategies for bio-resources with potential economic and scientific value
4. Promoting the application of biological software in pathogens' and agricultural pests' management
5. Training and teaching human resources towards achieving all these objectives

The Indian government is also establishing many biotech parks and incubators. Some existing biotech parks/incubation centers are in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Bangalore.

With so many measures being adopted to promote biotechnology, the Indian biotech sector is set to flourish, and it can revolutionize agriculture, industrial processing, health care, and environmental sustainability.

The government of India has taken several initiatives to attract foreign investments in India. Not only foreign establishments but also entrepreneurs from India can reap the benefits of the growing Indian Market.

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No More Teary Onion, Thanks to Genetic Engineering

The blog, Rael the Prophet, reports on an article in the UK Telegraph about a research on a genetically engineered tear-free onion being collaboratively conducted by researchers from Japan and the New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research. We're all aware how teary an onion can be if mishandled when chopping. To men and women who spend considerable amounts of time cooking, this, definitely is news worth celebrating.

In addition to ridding onion of the gene that causes teary effects on our eyes, these researchers promise that this new variety will be sweeter and healthier.

What an exciting research? Indeed, it has generated quite a buzz. The journal Onion World, in its December edition, has featured this work, which is being piloted by Dr. Colin Eady. The popular environmental blog Environmental Grafita gleefully proclaims, GM onions means no more tears, with sarcasm:

Anti-GMO activists may soon be tearing up after a New Zealand company announced the development of a genetically modified tear free onion.

I can't also wait to see their [anti-biotech activists] reactions. Instead of inserting a foreign gene into the onion, which has been the practice in crop genetic engineering, researchers in this project will be working to suppress the gene that makes onions teary.

The key is not to introduce a foreign gene but to silence one using a phenomenon called RNA interference. By stopping sulphur compounds from being converted to the tearing agent and redirecting them into compounds responsible for flavour and health, the process could even improve the onion.

So, which direction will the debate on safety of this new onion variety take? We're always told there's no guarantee of safety of genes inserted into crops such as corn, cotton, or soya. Will the anti-biotech groups now claim removing a gene from a crop, and onion onion for that matter, will compromise human health and the environment? Let's wait for the debate to start.

James Wachai specializes in agricultural biotechnology communication.

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29. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Learn More about Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Best Books on Recombinant DNA Technology

Recombinant DNA Technology | Genetics | Biology

To purchase this program please visit www.greatpacificmedia.com Segment from the program Biotechnology: Engineering Genomes. DVD Description Our Biotechnology DVD first looks at major research areas in biotechnology such as the Human Genome Project and the various forms of recombinant DNA technology that produce transgenic plants and animals. The program then goes on to look at the tools used by biotechnologists such as restriction enzymes, plasmids, vector and vector less insertion of genes into genomes, and the production of genes via polymerase chain reactions. The program then concludes by looking at the future of biotechnology and some of the environmental, economic, and ethical issues raised by biotech.