Now
Biotechnology has grown from its humble beginnings. We can now use biotechnology to change cells in other living things to make products and discover new things about the genetic basis of life.
We can do this because we now know a lot more about genes in plants and animals, and how they relate to characteristics such as eye colour or susceptibility to disease. Some characteristics, such as hair colour, are controlled by a single gene. However, most traits are controlled by a larger number of genes.
Until recently, we have looked at how well animals and plants perform or grow to get an idea of whether their genes are of interest to us. Understanding more about genes and how they work means we can have greater control over breeding processes.
While we don’t yet know the function of every gene in humans, plants and animals, we can work with the knowledge we do have. For example, researchers can locate an area of a chromosome that seems to include a group of genes that has a significant effect on a characteristic of the animal or plant. They may not know what the genes are or their exact function, but they know roughly where the genes are located.
To work out which variation of a particular gene the plant or animal has, genetic markers are used. Genetic markers are thought to have no function and no impact on animal or plant survival, but can be easily identified in the laboratory. Genetic markers act like landmarks that indicate where in the genome the genes of interest are located.
We have also learnt a lot more about ourselves, how our genes work inside our cells and what happens when things go wrong.
We can detect diseases earlier and diagnose them more accurately. And, because we understand more about how diseases work, we can work to prevent them by modifying our behaviour. Studying the genetics and biochemistry of pathogens (such as bacteria and viruses) has led to drugs that reduce the impact of disease symptoms, or boost the immune system to prevent disease.
Watch a video from the CSIRO about gene technology