🧬 NEET 2025 BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS 🧬
Complete Guide to Biotechnology in Health & Agriculture
💎 3 GOLDEN FACTS (NEET 2015-24)
92%
Questions from Insulin & Vaccine Production
5x
More questions on Bt crops than Transgenic Animals
9
Direct questions on Biosafety Issues since 2018
⚖️ BIOTECH PRODUCTS COMPARISON
| Application | Technology Used | Host Organism | Key Benefit | NEET Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Insulin | rDNA Technology | E. coli/Yeast | Diabetes treatment | 3 Q/yr |
| Vaccines | Recombinant DNA | Yeast/Bacteria | Disease prevention | 2 Q/yr |
| Bt Crops | Genetic Engineering | Cotton, Brinjal | Pest resistance | 2 Q/yr |
| Gene Therapy | Gene Transfer | Human cells | Cure genetic disorders | 1 Q/yr |
🏥 Biotechnology in Health
Major Health Applications:
Human Insulin Production
Isolation of human insulin gene
Insertion into plasmid vector
Transformation into E. coli/yeast
Fermentation and production
Purification of human insulin
- Advantage: No allergic reactions (vs animal insulin)
- First Product: Humulin (1982 by Eli Lilly)
- Hosts: E. coli (prokaryotic) or Yeast (eukaryotic)
Vaccine Production
- Recombinant Vaccines:
- Hepatitis B vaccine (first recombinant vaccine)
- Produced in yeast cells
- DNA Vaccines:
- Direct injection of plasmid DNA
- E.g.: COVID-19 DNA vaccines (ZyCoV-D)
- mRNA Vaccines:
- E.g.: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines
- No live virus used
Gene Therapy
Somatic Gene Therapy
- Non-heritable changes
- Targets specific tissues
- Example: SCID treatment
Germline Gene Therapy
- Heritable changes
- Ethical concerns
- Currently banned
Vectors Used:
- Retroviruses (for ex vivo therapy)
- Adenoviruses (for in vivo therapy)
- Liposomes (non-viral method)
🎯 PYQ Highlights:
NEET 2022: Host for first recombinant insulin? Answer: E. coli
NEET 2020: First disease treated by gene therapy? Answer: SCID (ADA deficiency)
NEET 2018: Hepatitis B vaccine is? Answer: Recombinant vaccine
🌾 Biotechnology in Agriculture
Key Applications:
Bt Crops
- Mechanism:
- Bacillus thuringiensis genes (cry genes) inserted
- Produces Bt toxin crystals in plant
- Toxin activated in insect gut (alkaline pH)
- Examples:
- Bt Cotton (cry1Ac gene) - resists bollworm
- Bt Brinjal (cry1Aa gene)
- Advantage: Reduces pesticide use by 80%
Transgenic Animals
Medical Applications:
- Dolly the sheep (first cloned mammal)
- Oncomouse (cancer research)
- Spider-goat (produces silk protein in milk)
Agricultural Applications:
- Superfish (growth hormone gene)
- Enviropig (reduces phosphorus waste)
Methods of Creation:
- Microinjection of DNA into pronucleus
- Retroviral vector infection
- Embryonic stem cell manipulation
Golden Rice
- Purpose: Vitamin A enrichment
- Genes Inserted:
- psy (phytoene synthase) from daffodil
- crtI (carotene desaturase) from soil bacterium
- Status: Approved in Philippines (2021)
- Controversy: Biosafety concerns
🧠 Bt TOXIN Mnemonic
"CRY in the Alkaline Gut":
Remember Bt toxin (cry genes) is activated in insect's alkaline gut
⚠️ Biosafety Issues
Major Concerns:
Biopiracy
- Definition: Unauthorized use of biological resources
- Famous Cases:
- Neem patent by W.R. Grace
- Basmati rice patent by RiceTec
- Turmeric patent by University of Mississippi
- Prevention:
- CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)
- Indian Biodiversity Act (2002)
Patents in Biotechnology
- Purpose: Protect intellectual property
- Requirements:
- Novelty
- Non-obviousness
- Utility
- Controversial Patents:
- OncoMouse (Harvard)
- BRCA genes (Myriad Genetics)
GMO Risks & Regulations
Potential Risks:
- Gene flow to wild relatives
- Allergenicity concerns
- Loss of biodiversity
Regulatory Bodies:
- GEAC (India)
- EPA (USA)
- EFSA (Europe)
Cartagena Protocol: International agreement on GMO movement (2000)
🎯 PYQ Highlights:
NEET 2021: Which is not a GMO risk? Answer: Increased yield (is benefit, not risk)
NEET 2019: Biopiracy example? Answer: Basmati rice patent
NEET 2017: GEAC full form? Answer: Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
Biosafety Mnemonic:
"GMO CARE": Gene flow, Monoculture, Ownership, Allergens, Resistance, Ethics
📈 NEET 2025 Predictions
High Probability Topics (90% chance):
- Steps in recombinant insulin production
- Bt toxin mechanism of action
- Difference between somatic and germline gene therapy
- Examples of biopiracy cases
Dark Horse Candidates (Surprise Elements):
- Golden rice genes and purpose
- First transgenic animal created
- Cartagena Protocol purpose
- Vectors used in gene therapy
💡 NEET 2025 Master Strategy
- ✅ Memorize all steps in insulin and vaccine production
- ✅ Practice drawing Bt toxin activation mechanism
- ✅ Solve all PYQs on biopiracy (2015-2024)
- ✅ Create comparison charts for different GMOs
With these strategies, you'll dominate the 5-7 marks from Biotechnology Applications in NEET 2025! �⚕️🌱
