Biotechnology: reality or dream

Abstract

The development of molecular biology and molecular genetics, especially of the recombinant DNA technology enabled improvement of experimental methods that provide manipulation within a cell-free system, such as cell and tissue cultures. Such methods resulted in the development of different new technologies with specific properties in relation to the conventional definitions. According to PERSLEY and lantin (2000) the following components are essential for the contemporary biotechnology: (i) genomics - a molecular characterization of all genes and gene products of an organism (ii) bioinformatics - the assembly of data from genomic analysis into accessible forms; (iii) transformation - the introduction of genes controlling a trait of interest into a genome of a desired organism (micro organisms, plants, animal systems). By the application of cotemporary biotechnology new methods in the field of diagnostic are developed such as rapid and more accurate identification of the presence and absence of genes in the genome of the organism of interest (identification of pathogens prenatal diagnostics, molecular markers assisted breeding for plants, etc). The traits of an organism are determined by its genetic material, i.e. by a molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). watson and crick (1953) were the first scientists to describe the structure of DNA as a double-stranded helix. Higher organisms contain a set of linear DNA molecules - chromosomes and a full set of chromosomes of an organism is a genome. Each genome is divided into a series of functional units, i.e. genes. The traits of an organism depend on genes, but their expression depends not only on genes but also on many other factors, including whether a gene, controlling the trait, expresses, specific cells in which it expresses and specially the mode by which the gene and its product interact with the environment. A special aspect within the application of biotechnology occurs as an interaction of a foreign gene with a genome of an integrated organism. Also application of biotechnology provides transfer of one or several favorable genes from any evolutionary category into other category of an organism and in such a way it is possible to develop genetically modified organisms (GMO) having expressed desired, target traits. A survey of the application of biotechnology in the world and our country is presented in this paper.