Biotechnology, Vaccines and Emerging Technologies

DNA, genes and genome editing

• DNA carries genetic information; a gene is a DNA segment coding for a protein.
• Recombinant DNA technology uses restriction enzymes ("molecular scissors") and vectors (plasmids) to insert genes into organisms.
• CRISPR-Cas9 is a precise genome-editing tool; its developers (Charpentier and Doudna) won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2020.

GM crops in India

• Bt cotton is the only GM crop approved for commercial cultivation (since 2002); it carries a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis for pest resistance.
• GM mustard (DMH-11) received environmental release approval from GEAC in 2022.
• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment Ministry approves GM organisms.

Vaccines

Type	Example
Live attenuated	Oral polio, MMR
Inactivated	Covaxin
Viral vector	Covishield
mRNA	Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines
DNA vaccine	ZyCoV-D (world's first DNA vaccine for humans)

Emerging technologies

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): machines performing tasks like learning and reasoning; IndiaAI Mission (2024).
• Quantum technology: qubits use superposition and entanglement; National Quantum Mission (2023).
• Blockchain: a distributed, tamper-resistant ledger.
• 5G: high speed and low latency; enables IoT.
• Semiconductors: India Semiconductor Mission (2021).

Prelims tips

1. Remember regulator names (GEAC) and "firsts" (ZyCoV-D, Bt cotton).
2. Link each technology to its government mission.

Analogy

CRISPR is like the 'Find and Replace' tool in a word processor. The guide RNA is the search box that finds the exact word (DNA sequence) in a huge document (genome), and Cas9 is the cursor that cuts it so the text can be deleted or corrected — without retyping the whole book.