Insect and disease resistance
Many plants have been made insect resistant by incorporating the desired genes. For example, Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterial species which increases the soil fertility and protects plants against pests. When researchers mapped its genome, they used its genes to incorporate into the plant to make it resistant against insects. Corn, cotton, and potatoes are among crops that have been made insect resistant. This new ability of the plants to resist insect outbreak may reduce the amount of insecticides being used and hence, the nutritional quality of the crops will be increased. Agricultural yields can be increased using genetic modification (GM), which relies on taking coveted properties from one organism and inserting those genes into another organism to create those same desired effects. Changes are made in the genome of the plants to increase the nutritional value of plants. Golden rice is an important achievement in this endeavor. The genes are inserted in the rice genome to increase the Vitamin A level in the crop. Information obtained from the model crop systems has been used to suggest improvements to other food crops.
Improve nutritional quality
Forensic Whenever crime scene investigation needs identification of bacteria, insects, and plants, genomic sequences can be re-sequenced using microarray and analysed using bioinformatics standard techniques.
Law and enforcement
DNA and other forensic biology sciences have been used for decades to identify a perpetrator. Bioinformatics can enhance and speed results to law enforcement faster than traditional methods. Bioinformatics also can be used as a powerful tool in finding the culprits behind a bioweapon or a bioterrorism attack, or conversely in determining the cause was not criminal after all. Genetic tests have been widely used for forensic evidences and mass-fatality identification (terrorist attacks, airplane crash, tsunami disaster). Genetic testing results are integrated with information collected by multidisciplinary teams composed of medical examiners, forensic pathologists, anthropologists, forensic dentists, fingerprint specialists, radiologists and experts in search and recovery of physical evidence.
Mass-fatality identification
Microbial genome applications The major impact of the bioinformatics has been in automating the microbial genome sequencing.
Waste clean- up
Example of application is bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans is known as ‘the world’s toughest bacterium’ that can repair damaged DNA and small fragments from chromosomes by isolating damage segments in a concentrated area. Gene from other bacteria have been inserted into D.radiodurans for environmental clean-up. It was used to break down organic chemicals, solvents, and heavy metals in radioactive waste sites. Rhodopseudomonas palustris is commonly found in soils and water. It converts sunlight to cellular energy by absorbing atmospheric CO2 and converting it to biomass. This microbe can also degrade and recycle a variety of aromatic compounds that comprise lignin, the main constituent of wood and the second most abundant polymer of earth. It converts CO2 gas into cell material, N2 gas into ammonia, and it can produce H2 gas. Biotechnology has identified organisms and microorganisms which can be especially useful in the dairy industry and food manufacturers. Bacterium used for manufacturing dairy products like buttermilk, yogurt and cheese, preparing pickled vegetables, beer, wine, breads, sausages and other fermented foods. Chlorobium tepidum has an unusual capacity for generating energy from light. The green bacteria do not produce oxygen from photosynthesis, unlike plants. Such species would have been able to harvest energy from light at a time when the atmosphere had little oxygen and grow even in low-light environments.
Climate change
Food industry
Alternative energy
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Malaysian Technology Strategic Outlook 2019/2020 Intergration of High Technology
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