Himalayan Institute of Pharmacy

B. Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
(BP-605T)
Mr. Gaurav Dhiman

Introduction to DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

biotechnology
INTRODUCTION
• Pharmaceutical biotechnology consist of the combination of two
branches which are “PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE” and
“BIOTECHNOLOGY”.
• DEFINITION
• BIOTECHNOLOGY: The application of biological system, living
organisms, or their derivatives in making or modifying products or
processes for specific use.
• Biotechnology means the study (logos) of tools from living things
(Bios).
• The word "biotechnology“ was first used in 1919 by hungarian
agriculture engineer Karl Ereky (Father of Biotechnology) to describe
processes using living organisms to make a product or run a process,
such as industrial fermentations.
• Biotechnology began when humans began to plant their own
crops, domesticate animals, ferment juice into wine, make
cheese, and leaven bread.
• PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY : Can simply be
define as the science that covers all technologies required for the
production, manufacturing and registration of biological drugs.
• The aim of this pharmaceutical biotechnology is to design,
produce drugs that are adapted to each persons genetic make
up,which can give the maximum therapeutic effect.
Biotechnology plays an important role in pharmaceutical science
most especially in the pharmaceutical industries by creation of
genetically modified organisms that can be used in industrial
production.
• The definition of biotechnology can be further divided into different
areas known as red, green blue and white.
• Red biotechnology: This area includes medical procedures such as
utilizing organisms for the production of novel drugs or employing
stem cells to replace/regenerate injured tissues and possibly regenerate
whole organs. It could simply be called medical biotechnology.
• Green biotechnology: Green biotechnology applies to agriculture and
involves such processes as the development of pest-resistant grains
and the accelerated evolution of disease-resistant animals.
• Blue biotechnology: Blue biotechnology encompasses processes in
the marine and aquatic environments, such as controlling the
proliferation of noxious water-borne organisms.
• White biotechnology: White (also called gray) biotechnology
involves industrial processes such as the production of new chemicals
or the development of new fuels for vehicles.
• A distinction is made between ‘non-gene biotechnology’ and
‘gene biotechnology’:
• Non-gene biotechnology: Non-gene biotechnology works
with whole cells, tissues or even individual organisms. Non-
gene biotechnology is the more popular practice, involving
plant tissue culture, hybrid seed production, microbial
fermentation, production of hybridoma antibodies and
immunochemistry.
• Gene biotechnology: Gene biotechnology deals with genes,
the transfer of genes from one organism to another and
genetic engineering
 Historical developments

• 6000 B.C., Sumarians and Babylonians Knew the technique of preparing

beer. (Mesopotamia civilization)
• Egyptians art of mummification used the technique of dehydration using
a mixture of salt.
• 2500 B.C.Aryans started preparing curd.
• 2000 B.C., Greeks were probably first to prepare cheese from milk
( cheese one of the first fermented food).
• 1822-1895 Louis Pasteur, "The father of Microbiology and father of
Industrial Biotechnology'‘ discovered that yeast produced alcohol in wine
and rod-shaped bacteria produced acetic acid, cause souring of wine.
• 1929, Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotic penicillin.
• The biotechnical focus moved to pharmaceuticals. In 1953, James
Watson and Francis Crick's were discovered the structure of DNA.
• First restriction enzyme isolated by Hamilton O. Smith in 1970.
• The field of modern biotechnology is generally thought of as
having been born in 1971 when Paul Berg's experiments in gene
splicing had early success.
• The COVID19 pandemic has presented a severe crisis for humanity and
Biotechnology seems to be the only hope to save lives.
• Researchers across the countries are utilizing biotechnology tools to develop an
effective vaccine against infectious disease.
 Application of biotechnology
• 1) MEDICINE
• Modern biotechnology finds promising applications in medicine
• i. Drug Production
• Most of the traditional pharmaceutical drugs used for treating the symptoms
of a disease are simpler molecules found through trials and errors.
ii) Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacogenomics is the study of the role of the genome in drug
response.
iii) Gene Therapy
• It is a technique designed to introduce genetic material into cells
to compensate for abnormal genes or to make a beneficial
protein. It is used for the treatment of genetic and acquired
diseases like cancer and AIDS.
iv. Gene testing
Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in
genes, chromosomes, or proteins.
• Confirming the diagnosis of symptomatic individuals.
• Determining sex...
• Forensic/identity testing.
• New-born screening.
• Prenatal diagnostic screening
• Pre-symptomatic testing for determining the risk of
developing adult-onset cancers.
2) Cloning
In this method, nucleus from one cell is removed and is
transferred to an unfertilized egg cell whose nucleus has either
been deactivated or removed.
Cloning can be done in the following two ways:
i) Reproductive Cloning In this method, the egg cell after a
few divisions is transferred to a uterus for its development
into a foetus that is genetically identical to the donor of the
original nucleus.
ii) Therapeutic Cloning. In this method, the egg is placed in a
petridish for its development into embryonic stem cells that are
potential for treating several ailments.
3) Agriculture. Biotechnology in agricultural field is used for the
following purposes:
i. Crop Yield
For increasing the crop yield, one or two genes are transferred to
a highly developed crop variety for imparting a new character.
ii. Reduced Vulnerability of Crops to Environmental Stresses.
Such crops which can be made resistant to biotic and abiotic
stresses can be developed with the help of genes,Example,
drought and salty soil are the two limiting factors in crop
productivity.
iii. Increased Nutritional Qualities.
The nutritional value of proteins contained in food can be
enhanced.Example, proteins in legumes.
iv. Reduced Dependence on Fertilizers
Modern biotechnology can also be used to reduce the dependence
of farmers on agrochemicals.Example, Bacillus thuringiensis.
4.Biological Engineering
Biological engineers study biological processes and integrate
them with engineering principles to develop solutions for a wide
variety of technical problems.Example, design medical devices
ranging from glucose sensors to materials and structures for hip
replacements,New processes which can clean our air and
water,Genetically engineer bacteria to produce fuel.