Biotechnology & its Applications Test - 2

Genetic modification of organisms can have unpredictable results when such organisms are introduced into the ecosystem. Therefore, the Indian Government has set up organisations such as GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee), which will make decisions regarding the validity of GM research and the safety of introducing GM-organisms for public services.

A patent is the right granted by government to an inventor to prevent others from commercial use of his invention. When patents are granted for biological entities and for products derived from them, these patents are called biopatents. Primarily, industrialised countries, like U.S.A., Japan and members of European Union, are awarding biopatents.

Biopiracy is exploitation of bioresources of a company by organisations and multinationals for commercial purpose with or without patent but without any Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement (ABA). Bioresources or biological resources are all those organisms which can provide commercial benefits. They are abundant in developing countries have traditional knowledge related in bioresources. On the other hand, developed countries are poor in bioresources but are rich in technology. Traditional knowledge helps in saving time, effort and expenditure in developing refined product for commercialisation. Therefore, based on traditional knowledge, institutions and companies of industrialised nations are collecting and exploiting bioresources of other nations by getting them patented. 

Bioethics may be viewed as the set of standards that may be used to regulate various activities based on their effects on the biological world. This is because biotechnology has aroused social as well as political concerns, which have ranged from biotechnology being unnatural to detrimental to biodiversity.

India is a country rich in tradition and expertise in natural medicines, spices, food preparations, biological pesticides and divers agriculture. Through painting without consist, foreign companies have collared at least 22 plants for their beneficial derivatives. Patients have been taken out on plants such as black papper (Piper nigrum), basmati rice (Oryaza sativa) Indian mustard (Brassica Campestris). Pomegranate (Punica granatum), turmeric (Curcuma domestica) and neem (Azadirachta indica). US, Japanse and German companies are the principal patenting pirates.

The patent granted for biological entities and the products derived from them are called biopatents.
Oryza has been covered under the broad patent category.

Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
One of the first cases of human benefit from genetic engineering was the production of human insulin in bacterial cells. Previous to this, diabetic patients were treated with pig insulin. Use of bacterially-derived human insulin has substantially reduced the number of animals used to produce insulin and also significantly reduces adverse reactions in diabetic patients as the molecule is identical to human insulin. Since the successful production of genetically engineered insulin, many other human proteins have been produced in this manner. This technology has improved millions of lives.

In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark office. This allowed the company to sell a 'new' variety of Basmati, in the US and abroad. This 'new' variety of Basmati had actually been derived from Indian farmer's varieties. Indian Basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty. The patent extends to functional equivalents, implying that other people selling Basmati rice could be restricted by the patent.

The Indian Parliament has cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill. It takes into consideration unauthorised exploitation of bio-resources. It also involves patent terms, emergency provisions and research and development initiative.