EXAMINATIONS 2008

MID-YEAR
BTEC 301
BIOTECHNOLOGICAL
TECHNIQUES AND PROCESSES
Time !!"#e$% THREE HOURS
I&'()*+(i"&'% Answer ALL questions in Part A and THREE (3) questions in Part B.
Questions in Part A are worth a total of 60 ar!s. Questions in Part B
are worth "0 ar!s ea#h. The total of ar!s a$aila%le is &"0.
P)( A% S,")( &'#e) -*e'(i"&'
Answer all questions. 'ou should atte(t to #o(lete this se#tion in 60)*+ in, so -our answers
ust %e %rief. .ar!s assi/ned for ea#h question are indi#ated in %ra#!ets ( ).
Gene therapy
A&. 0i$e an e1a(le of a sui#ide /ene2(rodru/ #o%ination, and des#ri%e how these i/ht %e
useful for (i) anti)#an#er thera(-3 and (ii) #lassi#al /ene thera(-. (3 ar!s)
A". List two (otential dan/ers (other than the inherent ris!s of in$asi$e sur/er-) with %one
arrow trans(lants for treatent of 4567. (" ar!s)
Antibody technologies
A3. 8hat is the differen#e %etween 5o(lete and 6n#o(lete 9reund:s ad;u$ant< (& ar!)
A=. List and des#ri%e four fa#tors that influen#e iuno/eni#it- of (roteins when in;e#ted.
(= ar!s)
Cancer therapeutics
A+. 6n a anufa#turin/ fa#ilit- o(eratin/ a##ordin/ to 0ood .anufa#turin/ Pra#ti#e /uidelines,
what is eant %- a >$alidated standard o(eratin/ (ro#edure?< (3 ar!s)
Peptide vaccines
A6. List two (redi#ted #hara#teristi#s that were used to desi/n a (e(tide $a##ine to su##essfull-
alter the %iolo/i#al a#ti$it- of B.P&+, and %riefl- e1(lain wh- ea#h of these #hara#teristi#s
was i(ortant. (" ar!s)
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Aptamers
A*. Ri%oswit#hes are #on#e(tuall- di$ided into two (arts. The first (art is a(n) (i)
and the se#ond (art is a(n) (ii) . The first (art dire#tl-
%inds the (iii) , and the se#ond (art under/oes (i$) in
res(onse to the #han/es in the first (art. The se#ond (art is the (art that re/ulates /ene
e1(ression. (" ar!s)
A@. List four a(taer)%ased ethods for the dete#tion of tar/et ole#ules. (" ar!s)
Biochemical engineering
AA. 6t:s the iddle of suer and the ferenter #oolin/ water te(erature is "0B5. The i#ro%es
in a ferenter are (rodu#in/ lots of heat durin/ $i/orous /rowth. Cnder these #onditions the
ferenter is stru//lin/ to #ontrol the te(erature of the ferentation %roth at the needed
"@B5 and the te(erature is slowl- #li%in/ a%o$e "@B5. 8hat would -ou do as a ferenter
o(erator to !ee( the te(erature of the ferentation %roth at "@B5< (" ar!s)
A&0. 8h- do %io#hei#al en/ineers (ut so u#h e(hasis on ferentation ediu desi/n<
(" ar!s)
Stem cells
A&&. 7efine a ste #ell. (& ar!)
A&". List four definin/ (ro(erties of e%r-oni# ste #ells. (" ar!s)
Genetic improvement of bacteria
A&3. A strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (rodu#es a se#ondar- eta%olite that is an effe#ti$e anti)
fun/al a/ent. Howe$er, it also (rodu#es al/inate D a $is#ous %rown /u that #lo/s ferenters
and a!es the %a#teria diffi#ult to #ulture effi#ientl-. 'ou ha$e %een hired to identif- a /ene
in this %a#teriu that is res(onsi%le for al/inate (rodu#tion. Briefl- des#ri%e how -ou #ould
use trans(osons to do this. (+ ar!s)
Marine biotechnology
A&=. 8hat are the naes of the #o(ound(s) isolated fro Mycale hentscheli, whi#h are %ein/
studied for their (otential anti)#an#er (ro(erties< (" ar!s)
A&+. 8hat is the ode of a#tion for one of the #o(ounds isolated fro Mycale hentscheli?
(& ar!)
A&6. Eae the aino a#id (and the fun#tional /rou() res(onsi%le for hea$- etal %indin/ in
etallothionein< (& ar!)
Biosensors
A&*. 4PR s(e#tros#o(- is an e$anes#ent wa$e %iosensor te#hnolo/- that #an %e used to onitor the
intera#tions of two or ore ole#ules in real tie. List or des#ri%e four other a((roa#hes for
whi#h -ou i/ht use o(ti# dete#tion ethods. (" ar!s)
A&@. A %iosensor was #onstru#ted usin/ a %iotin-lated a(taer and a la-er of stre(ta$idin
(re$iousl- fi1ed onto the /old surfa#e of a quartF #r-stal i#ro%alan#e (Q5.).
a) 8hat is the role of the stre(ta$idin< (& ar!)
%) How does the %iosensor /enerate a si/nal< (& ar!)
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IP
A&A. 8hat are the two ain thin/s that the written des#ri(tion of a (atent a((li#ation ust
esta%lish< (3 ar!s)
A"0. 7es#ri%e one %enefit and one ris! of filin/ a (atent a((li#ation earl- in a resear#h (ro/rae,
and one %enefit and one ris! of filin/ a (atent a((li#ation later in a resear#h (ro/rae.
(3 ar!s)
Chemical genetics and cell biology
A"&. 8hat is a sall world networ!< (& ar!)
A"". 8hat is a #oon >de/ree? of a %iolo/i#al networ!< (& ar!)
A"3. 8rite a si(le >/ene)on? #ir#uit. (" ar!s)
A"=. 0i$e a one senten#e definition for ea#h of the ters G#hei#al /eneti#s: and
G#heo/enoi#s:. (" ar!s)
A"+. 8hat is the /eneti# definition of an allele< 8hat is eant %- the ter G#hei#al allele:< How
#an there %e ore than one G#hei#al allele: for a /ene of interest (i.e. what is the (h-si#al
e#hanis underl-in/ differen#es in #hei#al alleles)< (" ar!s)
A"6. 8hat three thin/s are ne#essar- to (erfor a forward #hei#al /eneti# s#reen and what is the
#entral requireent for a re$erse /eneti# s#reen< (" ar!s)
Commercialisation of biotechnology
A"*. Pro$ide two e1a(les of #oer#ial a((li#ations whi#h #an %e addressed with
%iote#hnolo/-. (" ar!s)
A"@. Pro$ide an e1a(le of a %iote#hnolo/- resear#h insi/ht or tool whi#h led to a hi/h i(a#t
#oer#ial use. 8hat is different a%out addressin/ unet needs with %iote#hnolo/- $ersus
other te#hnolo/- (latfors< (3 ar!s)
BTEC 301 +"&(i&*e$
3
P)( B% ESSAY QUESTIONS
Essa- questions are di$ided into three (3) se#tions. Answer one question fro ea#h se#tion as
indi#ated. Ea#h question is worth a total of "0 ar!s.
B1. T,e)/e*(i+'. A&'#e) "&e 011 "2 (,e 2"!!"#i&3 (,)ee -*e'(i"&'.
0i1 a) E1(lain how to /enerate a non)re(li#atin/ retro$iral $e#tor for /ene thera(-. 6n#lude a %rief
o$er$iew of the retro$iral life#-#le and /enoe stru#ture in -our answer. (&+ ar!s)
%) Briefl- e1(lain wh- Hn-1 $iruses (adeno$iruses la#!in/ E&A and2or E&B /enes)
(referentiall- re(li#ate in tuour #ells o$er health- #ells. (+ ar!s)
OR
0ii1 Ia##ines that indu#e T #ell a#ti$it- are %ein/ de$elo(ed for the treatent of #an#er. 7es#ri%e
the rationale %ehind these $a##ines, in#ludin/ the #ell t-(es in$ol$ed in the iune res(onse,
the sour#es of anti/ens that #an %e used, and how anti/ens are a#quired and (ro#essed to
stiulate T #ells. ("0 ar!s)
OR
0iii1 A definin/ #hara#teristi# of ste #ells is the a%ilit- of self)renewal while /eneratin/ an-
dau/hter #ells that are #oitted to differentiation. This is related to the a%ilit- of stes #ells
to under/o self)renewin/ as-etri# di$ision.
Csin/ dia/ras, des#ri%e two t-(es of as-etri# di$ision that o##urs in ste #ells. 6n#lude
in -our answer what a Gni#he: is, and /i$e at least one e1a(le of where a ste #ell ni#he
would %e found. ("0 ar!s)
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B2. M)i&e &$ Mi+)"4i! Bi"(e+,&"!"35. A&'#e) "&e 011 "2 (,e 2"!!"#i&3 (#" -*e'(i"&'.
0i1 A #on#erned #ounit- /rou( has as!ed for -our hel( to dete#t and onitor sus(e#ted etal
and P5B #ontainants in their arine en$ironent. 7es#ri%e the e1(erients -ou would
#ondu#t to hel(.
6n#lude the followin/ in -our answerJ
The qualities -ou would loo! for when #hoosin/ a arine s(e#ies for %ioonitorin/.
Ad$anta/es and disad$anta/es of tissue)%ased onitorin/, #o(ared to the de$elo(ent of
G%ioar!er: (roteins.
Proteoi#s ethodolo/- in /eneral (usin/ ")7 PA0E) and the ad$anta/es of usin/ 760E for
dete#tion of (otential (roteins to use as %ioar!ers.
("0 ar!s)
OR
0ii1 7es#ri%e how /enoe shufflin/ is a%le to i(ro$e on #lassi#al uta/enesis a((roa#hes for
i(ro$eent of #o(le1 %a#terial (henot-(es. 6n#lude detailed ethodolo/- and s(e#ifi#
e1a(les in -our answer, and e1(lain wh- /enoe shufflin/ is not alwa-s a((li#a%le.
("0 ar!s)
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B3. C,emi+! Ge&e(i+'. A&'#e) "&e 011 "2 (,e 2"!!"#i&3 (#" -*e'(i"&'.
0i1 'ou ha$e dis#o$ered a #o(ound that sto(s the /rowth of a $ariet- of fun/i, %ut has no
$isi%le effe#t on aalian #ells. 'ou are e1#ited %- the #oer#ial (ossi%ilities of this
#o(ound, %ut need to !now how it wor!s to attra#t in$estors.
7es#ri%e three different a((roa#hes -ou would e(lo- to identif- the tar/et of -our dru/. At
least two of the a((roa#hes ust %e /enoi# ethods. Briefl- outline the strate/- or
rationale for ea#h a((roa#h. 6t a- hel( to (ro$ide a dia/ra of the a((roa#h. How would
-ou #onfir that the tar/et -ou dis#o$ered is #orre#t< 0i$e a %rief outline of a $alidation
assa-.
("0 ar!s)
OR
0ii1 7es#ri%e in detail how anal-sis of quantitati$e trait lo#i i/ht hel( e1(lain #o(le1 traits.
6n#lude standard ethodolo/ies in anal-sin/ QTL.
("0 ar!s)
K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K
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