Biosafety In Industrial Biotechnology

As an industry, biotechnology may be likened to the Hymn Book, being both ancient and modern. Whereas activities such as baking, brewing, the fermenting of foods date from our earliest attempts to control and utilise the environment, the application of recombinant DNA technology is recognised as being at the forefront of novel industrial development. Perhaps because of its association with processing foodstuffs together with the benefits derived from applications in the early organic chemistry and pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology has been regarded as being inherently safe. Yet unlike other modern industries, such as chemical and nuclear, where regulation has followed from incidents or accidents, modern biotechnology has been subject to close scrutiny and regulation almost from its inception. The process of regulation itself is somewhat unusual in that it was initially self-imposed by the very scientists who developed the fundamental techniques of recombinant DNA technology. They recognised the signific ance of their development but were concerned of the effects on humans and the environment of uncontrolled application of the new, powerful technology. Concern about the possible consequences of genetic manipula tion has undoubtedly been the driving force behind the regulations that are now in place in many parts of the world and which are the subject of this book. Safety issues in the biotechnology industry can be categorised under three headings: worker, environmental and consumer (product) safety.

These proceedings discuss the use of micro-organisms in agriculture and for production purposes such as bio-fuel, their use for bioremediation and in cleaning products, the environmental applications of insects, and environmental risk/safety assessment considerations.

Considerations of this nature have often overshadowed the benefits these countries might derive from the application of genetic engineering.

The tremendous progress in biology over the last half century - from Watson and Crick's elucidation of the structure of DNA to today's astonishing, rapid progress in the field of synthetic biology - has positioned us for significant innovation in chemical production. New bio-based chemicals, improved public health through improved drugs and diagnostics, and biofuels that reduce our dependency on oil are all results of research and innovation in the biological sciences. In the past decade, we have witnessed major advances made possible by biotechnology in areas such as rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing, metabolic engineering, and high-throughput screening. The manufacturing of chemicals using biological synthesis and engineering could expand even faster. A proactive strategy - implemented through the development of a technical roadmap similar to those that enabled sustained growth in the semiconductor industry and our explorations of space - is needed if we are to realize the widespread benefits of accelerating the industrialization of biology. Industrialization of Biology presents such a roadmap to achieve key technical milestones for chemical manufacturing through biological routes. This report examines the technical, economic, and societal factors that limit the adoption of bioprocessing in the chemical industry today and which, if surmounted, would markedly accelerate the advanced manufacturing of chemicals via industrial biotechnology. Working at the interface of synthetic chemistry, metabolic engineering, molecular biology, and synthetic biology, Industrialization of Biology identifies key technical goals for next-generation chemical manufacturing, then identifies the gaps in knowledge, tools, techniques, and systems required to meet those goals, and targets and timelines for achieving them. This report also considers the skills necessary to accomplish the roadmap goals, and what training opportunities are required to produce the cadre of skilled scientists and engineers needed.

Industrial biotechnology can be defined as the use of modern biological life sciences in process of industries. For example, industrial biotechnology has applications in a number of markets that affect our daily lives: in chemicals; in food processing; and in textiles just to name a few. Additionally, industrial biotechnology may not only help with better processing of materials, but it may also play an important role on reducing emissions and increasing efficiencies in the manufacturing process. Industrial biotechnology is transforming many of the world s industrial operations. The promise of industrial biotechnology has always been to reduce or replace the use of fossil energy and hydrocarbon-based materials with renewable, plant-based resources and naturally occurring microbes to produce more cost-effective and environmental-friendly materials for textiles, fuels, chemicals, pollution prevention and even human pharmaceuticals. Designed for students and practitioners of biotechnology and related fields, this book describes the potential applications of biotechnology in the industrial sector. This unique and up-to-date resource offering readers an innovative and valuable presentation of the subject.

Safety in Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology reviews the hazards involved in work with both naturally occurring and genetically-modified microorganisms. This text is divided into 12 chapters and begins with an overview of the laboratory- and industry-associated infection hazards. The subsequent chapters deal with the legal issues, containment, risk assessment, and pathogenicity testing of infection related to industrial microbiology and biotechnology. These topics are followed by discussions of the safety considerations in recombinant plasmid preparation, the safe handling of industrially-produced mammalian cells, and some genetic designs that can be applied to processes based on recombinant DNA microorganisms. Other chapters explore the design for safety in bioprocessing and the containment in the development and manufacture of recombinant DNA-derived products. The remaining chapters look into the monitoring and validation in biotechnological processes, as well as the occupational health implications of industrial biotechnology. This book will prove useful to biotechnologists, microbiologists, safety engineers, and researchers.