Biotechnology allows the use of living organisms or their processes for human needs or purposes . Currently, this topic includes suchgeneralexamples as cloning, stem cells (adult, umbilical cord, and...

Application of biotechnology
Golden Rice is one of the major applications of Biotechnology. Golden Rice refers to rice line
that has been genetically engineered to produce and accumulate provitamin A (β-carotene) in the
grain thus making the grain look yellow to orange, hence the name.
goal of this application is to provide pro-vitamin A to third world,
developing, countries where malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency are
very common.
Biotechnology of Golden rice:
The Golden rice project was started by Ingo Potrykus of the Technical
University, Zurich and Peter Beyer of the University Freiburg. Ths was
a ten years research program and was financed by the Rockefeller
Foundation, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and a crop
protection company- Syngenta
The synthesis of carotenes in plants begins with the linkage of two geranylgeranyl diphosphate
molecules to form the phytoene which is the precursor of β -carotene. Phytoene converts into β -
carotene through three further enzymatic steps. Cereal grains accumulate geranylgeranyl
diphosphate but lack 4 enzymes.
The synthesis of β -carotene in cereals therefore represents an example of metabolic pathway
extension, where novel enzymatic activities must be introduced into the plant by inserting these 4
genes in rice genome and expressed in the...