Human Biotechnology

Students should be able to: 1. apprehend the general principle and practice of biotechnology; 2. explain the structure and function of cell organelles and cellular transport; 3. describe the science of biotechnology and identify its product domains; 4. comprehend the concepts in human genetics and its applications; 5. identify the various natural and laboratory based modifications of DNA; 6. apply human biotechnology in solving human health problems; 7. use molecular biology techniques genetically engineer the animals to improve sustainability, productivity and suitability for pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial applications; and 8. explain how scientific methodologies are used to conduct experiments and develop products.

Introduction to Biotechnology: Historical background; types, their examples and applications Biotechnology and human health: pharmaceuticals, diagnosis, vaccines, gene therapy, organ replacement therapy, nutrition, environmental health, health prevention, etc. Introduction to Genetic Engineering: history of genetic engineering; cloning; DNA fingerprinting; polymerase chain reaction; summary of DNA fingerprinting; application of GE in fighting diseases. Introduction to Tissue Engineering: basic biological concept– cells, organelles; tissue organisation; tissue dynamics, representative tissue; case studies; barriers to tissue engineering adoptions.