Lecture 23 - Biosafety Concerns | Plant Biotechnology - Botany PDF Download

 Page 1


Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       1 
 
 
 
Lesson Prepared Under MHRD project “ National Mission 
on Education Through ICT” 
Discipline: Botany 
Paper: Plant Biotechnology 
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla 
Lesson: Biosafety Concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
Lesson Developer: Dr. Ashima Khurana 
Department of Botany, Zakir Hussain Delhi College,  
University of Delhi and  
Dr. Rahul Kumar 
RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad 
Lesson Reviewer: Dr Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of 
Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Language Editor: Namrata Dhaka 
Department/College: Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, 
South Campus 
 
Lesson Editor: Dr Rama Sisodia, Fellow in Botany ILLL 
 
 
 
 
 
Page 2


Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       1 
 
 
 
Lesson Prepared Under MHRD project “ National Mission 
on Education Through ICT” 
Discipline: Botany 
Paper: Plant Biotechnology 
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla 
Lesson: Biosafety Concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
Lesson Developer: Dr. Ashima Khurana 
Department of Botany, Zakir Hussain Delhi College,  
University of Delhi and  
Dr. Rahul Kumar 
RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad 
Lesson Reviewer: Dr Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of 
Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Language Editor: Namrata Dhaka 
Department/College: Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, 
South Campus 
 
Lesson Editor: Dr Rama Sisodia, Fellow in Botany ILLL 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       2 
 
Learning outcomes 
After reading this Chapter, the reader should be able to understand: 
? The importance of biotechnology 
? Applications of various branches of biotechnology 
? Concerns related to biotechnology 
? Need for biosafety 
? The principles of biosafety 
? Different levels of biosafety 
? National and international regulations of biosafety. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Page 3


Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       1 
 
 
 
Lesson Prepared Under MHRD project “ National Mission 
on Education Through ICT” 
Discipline: Botany 
Paper: Plant Biotechnology 
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla 
Lesson: Biosafety Concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
Lesson Developer: Dr. Ashima Khurana 
Department of Botany, Zakir Hussain Delhi College,  
University of Delhi and  
Dr. Rahul Kumar 
RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad 
Lesson Reviewer: Dr Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of 
Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Language Editor: Namrata Dhaka 
Department/College: Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, 
South Campus 
 
Lesson Editor: Dr Rama Sisodia, Fellow in Botany ILLL 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       2 
 
Learning outcomes 
After reading this Chapter, the reader should be able to understand: 
? The importance of biotechnology 
? Applications of various branches of biotechnology 
? Concerns related to biotechnology 
? Need for biosafety 
? The principles of biosafety 
? Different levels of biosafety 
? National and international regulations of biosafety. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       3 
 
Chapter: Biosafety Concerns in Biotechnology 
Table of Contents   
? Introduction 
? Applications of biotechnology 
? Branches of Biotechnology 
? Red biotechnology 
? Concerns/Risks associated with red 
biotechnology 
? Green biotechnology  
? Concerns/Risks associated with green 
biotechnology 
? White biotechnology 
? Blue biotechnology  
? Concerns associated with biotechnology 
? Risks to human/animal health 
? Concerns due to antibiotic resistance genes 
? Food safety 
? Risks to environment  
? Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) 
? Super weeds due to herbicide resistance genes 
? Impact on soil fertility 
? Impacts on biodiversity 
? General concerns 
? Definition of biosafety 
? Principles of biosafety 
? Guidelines for biosafety 
? Risk analysis 
? Risk assessment 
? Risk management 
? Risk Communication 
? Containment 
? Physical containment 
? Biological containment 
? Gene containment 
? Biosafety Levels (BSLs) 
? Biosafety level 1 
? Biosafety level 2 
? Biosafety level 3 
Page 4


Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       1 
 
 
 
Lesson Prepared Under MHRD project “ National Mission 
on Education Through ICT” 
Discipline: Botany 
Paper: Plant Biotechnology 
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla 
Lesson: Biosafety Concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
Lesson Developer: Dr. Ashima Khurana 
Department of Botany, Zakir Hussain Delhi College,  
University of Delhi and  
Dr. Rahul Kumar 
RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad 
Lesson Reviewer: Dr Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of 
Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Language Editor: Namrata Dhaka 
Department/College: Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, 
South Campus 
 
Lesson Editor: Dr Rama Sisodia, Fellow in Botany ILLL 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       2 
 
Learning outcomes 
After reading this Chapter, the reader should be able to understand: 
? The importance of biotechnology 
? Applications of various branches of biotechnology 
? Concerns related to biotechnology 
? Need for biosafety 
? The principles of biosafety 
? Different levels of biosafety 
? National and international regulations of biosafety. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       3 
 
Chapter: Biosafety Concerns in Biotechnology 
Table of Contents   
? Introduction 
? Applications of biotechnology 
? Branches of Biotechnology 
? Red biotechnology 
? Concerns/Risks associated with red 
biotechnology 
? Green biotechnology  
? Concerns/Risks associated with green 
biotechnology 
? White biotechnology 
? Blue biotechnology  
? Concerns associated with biotechnology 
? Risks to human/animal health 
? Concerns due to antibiotic resistance genes 
? Food safety 
? Risks to environment  
? Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) 
? Super weeds due to herbicide resistance genes 
? Impact on soil fertility 
? Impacts on biodiversity 
? General concerns 
? Definition of biosafety 
? Principles of biosafety 
? Guidelines for biosafety 
? Risk analysis 
? Risk assessment 
? Risk management 
? Risk Communication 
? Containment 
? Physical containment 
? Biological containment 
? Gene containment 
? Biosafety Levels (BSLs) 
? Biosafety level 1 
? Biosafety level 2 
? Biosafety level 3 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       4 
 
? Biosafety level 4 
? Regulations for biosafety 
? International regulations  
? Biosafety regulations in India 
? Current status of risk assessment of transgenic crops 
? Summary  
? Exercise/ Practice 
? Glossary 
? References/ Further Reading 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Page 5


Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       1 
 
 
 
Lesson Prepared Under MHRD project “ National Mission 
on Education Through ICT” 
Discipline: Botany 
Paper: Plant Biotechnology 
National Coordinator: Prof. S.C. Bhatla 
Lesson: Biosafety Concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
Lesson Developer: Dr. Ashima Khurana 
Department of Botany, Zakir Hussain Delhi College,  
University of Delhi and  
Dr. Rahul Kumar 
RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad 
Lesson Reviewer: Dr Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of 
Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University 
Language Editor: Namrata Dhaka 
Department/College: Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, 
South Campus 
 
Lesson Editor: Dr Rama Sisodia, Fellow in Botany ILLL 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       2 
 
Learning outcomes 
After reading this Chapter, the reader should be able to understand: 
? The importance of biotechnology 
? Applications of various branches of biotechnology 
? Concerns related to biotechnology 
? Need for biosafety 
? The principles of biosafety 
? Different levels of biosafety 
? National and international regulations of biosafety. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       3 
 
Chapter: Biosafety Concerns in Biotechnology 
Table of Contents   
? Introduction 
? Applications of biotechnology 
? Branches of Biotechnology 
? Red biotechnology 
? Concerns/Risks associated with red 
biotechnology 
? Green biotechnology  
? Concerns/Risks associated with green 
biotechnology 
? White biotechnology 
? Blue biotechnology  
? Concerns associated with biotechnology 
? Risks to human/animal health 
? Concerns due to antibiotic resistance genes 
? Food safety 
? Risks to environment  
? Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) 
? Super weeds due to herbicide resistance genes 
? Impact on soil fertility 
? Impacts on biodiversity 
? General concerns 
? Definition of biosafety 
? Principles of biosafety 
? Guidelines for biosafety 
? Risk analysis 
? Risk assessment 
? Risk management 
? Risk Communication 
? Containment 
? Physical containment 
? Biological containment 
? Gene containment 
? Biosafety Levels (BSLs) 
? Biosafety level 1 
? Biosafety level 2 
? Biosafety level 3 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       4 
 
? Biosafety level 4 
? Regulations for biosafety 
? International regulations  
? Biosafety regulations in India 
? Current status of risk assessment of transgenic crops 
? Summary  
? Exercise/ Practice 
? Glossary 
? References/ Further Reading 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biosafety concerns in Plant Biotechnology 
 
           Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi                                       5 
 
Introduction  
Biotechnology can be simply defined as technology based on biology. It uses living 
systems and organisms to develop technologies and products which are useful to our 
lives and improve the health of our planet. This term was coined by a Hungarian 
engineer, Karl Ereky, in 1919. As per the UN convention on biological diversity, 
biotechnology is defined as, “any technological application that uses biological system or 
living organisms to make or modify the process or products for specific use". In the 
modern times, biotechnological advancement is contributing in almost all aspects of 
human life, including development of breakthrough products and technology to fight rare 
diseases, production of plant resources with either higher nutritional values (such as 
golden rice) and/or enhanced ability to thrive in unfavorable environmental conditions 
(such as drought resistant plants) to alleviate the pressing need for more food, 
production of cleaner energy fuels (such as bioethanol from lignocellulosic waste using 
biocatalysts such as enzymes, yeast in fermentation process) and also development of 
cleaner, safer and better industrial manufacturing processes (such as use of biopulping 
instead of thermomechanical pulping in paper making can reduce consumption of 
electrical energy by 30 per cent). The contribution of biotechnology to our day-to-day life 
can be estimated by the facts that currently over 250 health care products/vaccines are 
available in the markets world over, over 13 million farmers use agricultural 
biotechnology tools/products for increasing yields, preventing losses from insects/pests 
and minimizing impact of farming on environment etc. Although, it has tremendously 
supported the human survival, some biosafety concerns are also associated with it. In 
this chapter, we will first briefly discuss the applications of biotechnology and its 
branches followed by the issues/concerns on biotechnological tools/practices and the 
biosafety measures. 
 
Applications of biotechnology 
Although biotechnology plays an integral part in our lives in innumerable ways, it 
received the much needed attention only in the last three decades when new and 
environmental friendly alternative methods were explored to help human survival. 
Initially the use of biotechnology were confined to a few processes such as , conversion 
of milk to yogurt or cheese is facilitated by involvement of bacteria or the process of 
fermentation which is used to bake breads and make wine involves biological activity of 
single celled microorganism called yeast. However, in the last three decades notable 
advancement in the biotechnological tools has been observed and there are innumerable 
examples of use of these tools in producing the breathtaking products. Some of the