Animal Biotechnology

Introduction: Animal cell cultures have been and are used to generate valuable products based on their own genetic information or due to genes transferred into them using recombinant DNA technology. On the other hand, biotechnology approaches are used either to rapidly multiply animals or desired genotypes or to introduce specefic alterations in their genotypes to achieve certain userful goals. To achieve the latter more efficiently as well as to assist in conventional breeding efforts, the entire genomes of animals are being characterised using biotechnology tools. These activities have been arbitarily grouped under animal biotechnology since they either utilize animal cells to generate products or apply biotechnological tools to enhance the usefulness of animals to human welfare.
Cell and Culture Products. Animal cell cultures are used to produce virus vaccines, as well as a variety of useful biochemical which are mainly high molecular weight proteins like enzymes hormones, cellular biochemical like interferons, and immunobiogical compounds including monoclonal antibodies. Animal cells are also good hosts for the expression of recombinant DNA molecules and a number of commercial products have been are being developed initially, virus vaccines were the dominant commercial products from cell culture but at present monoclonal antibody production is the chief commercial activity. It is expected that recombinant proteins would become the prime product from cell cultures in the near future. Transplantable tissues and organs are another very valuable product from cell cultures. Artificial skins are already in use for graftin in burn and other patiens, and efforts are focussed on developing transplantable cartilage and other tissues. A greater detail of cell culture products is provided under the following heads (1) vaccines (2) interferon (3) monoclonal antibodies (4) hybrid antibodies and (5) recombinant proteins.