Методичка по английскому языку для ИТС (пр. С.С.Иванов)

Pitches and cokes, which are derived from coal and petroleum tars or heavy aromatic liquids, are the two main carbon precursor materials for the production of bulk carbon and graphite products, and for the manufacture of carbon blacks. Pitches have a glass-like character and cokes are infusible solids. Bulk carbon and graphite products, such as electrodes, are produced by first blending calcined coke as a filler and liquid pitch as a binder. This "green" material is then thermally processed through a series of progressively higher temperatures to achieve the final desired properties. Petroleum coke is the largest single precursor material in terms of quantity for manufactured carbon and graphite products.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is the third students‘ specialization of Physics and

Chemical Engineering Faculty.

Biotechnology is a science dealing with the use of biological processes in technology and industry. The term derives from the Greek words ―bios‖ meaning life, ―teken‖ - art, and ―logos‖ - word, subject, science. Biological processes are those which utilize biological objects of various nature (microbial, plant, or animal) for example, manufacturing a range of products

110

having medical, food and other applications - antibiotics, vaccine, ferments, feed and food proteins, polysaccharides, hormones, glycosides, amino acids, alkaloids, biogas, fertilizers, etc.

Biotechnology is based on the integral use of biochemistry, microbiology, and practical engineering with the aim to realize industrially the abilities of microorganisms, cultures of tissue cells and their parts. It‘s closely associated with general biology, microbiology, botany, zoology, anatomy and physiology, bio-, organic, physical and colloidal chemistry, immunology, bioengineering, electronics, medicine technology, genetics, and other sciences.

As a science biotechnology has been forming with the development of mankind. Its origination and progressing can be loosely subdivided into four periods: empiric (from the Greek ―empeirikos‖ - experiment) or prehistoric; etiological (from the Greek ―aitia‖ - cause); biotechnical and gene-technical

(from the Greek ―genesis‖ - birth, origin).

The first (empirical) period is the longest, covering about 8,000 years. Ancient tribes used by intuition techniques of baking bread, brewing beer and honey alcoholic drinks, fermenting milk and cabbage, preparing silage. The period saw long accumulation of mycology phenomena (from the Greek ―mykes‖ - fungus).

The second (etiological) period embraces the second half of the 19th and the first third of the 20th cc (1856 - 1933). It is connected with the research conducted by Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895), a great French scientist, founder of scientific microbiology and several microbiological disciplines (industrial, medical, sanitary, analytical). The latter is associated with the discovery by Pasteur of molecular asymmetry (stereoisometry). He created the scientific basis for vaccination and vaccine therapy, proposed a new method of sterilization, termed ―pasteurization‖ after his name, etc.

An outstanding mycologist A. de Bari (1831 - 1888) was working in parallel with Pasteur first in Germany and later in France. He is the founder of physiological mycology and mycophytopathology - science about fungal diseases (from the Greek ―fition‖ — plant and ―pathos‖ — disease). Among his followers were the scientists F.M. Balfur, I V. Baranetsky, M. S. Voronin, A. Koch, A.S. Faminitsin and others.

This very period produced a new scientific discipline of virology.

The third (biotechnical) period was marked by development of industrial biotechnical equipment which was linked with appearance and progress in manufacturing of antibiotics (1939 - 1945). Such medicines as

111

penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, a range-of amino acids, etc. were obtained during the period.

By 1950 J. Monod (France) had developed the theoretical basis of continuously controlled cultivation of microbes. In the 1950s M. Stephenson, I. Malek, N.D. Jerusalemsky and others conducted an immense research on continuous cultivation of microorganisms. At the same period a bioreactor, which is still being used, was designed and put into operation. During about 40 years of the third period, all the required equipment, including its major unit-bioreactor, was designed, constructed and put into work. The equipment is still in use.

The fourth (gene-technical) period in biotechnology started in 1972. That year P. Berg and his colleagues in the U.S. created the first recombinant DNA molecule. No doubt, current results in biotechnology would have been impossible without the fundamental research of DNA structure carried out by F. Crik and J. Watson.

In 1982 human insulin came into market. It was produced by colon bacilli, carrying artificially built-in ―blueprints‖ (i.e. genetic information) about this hormone.

The gene-technical period is characterized by development of intensive (instead of extensive) processes on the basis of orientated fundamental research (with producents of antibiotics, ferments, amino acids, vitamins); acquisition of superproducents; creation of producents carrying absurd genetic information; creation of bizarre organisms non-existing in nature; development and introduction of ecologically pure and, if possible, wasteless technologies; automation and computerizing of biotechnological processes, etc.

During the previous 10-15 years biotechnology has developed drastically, its spheres have become clear-cut. These are medical, immune biotechnology, biogeotechnology, engineering enzymology.

Medical biotechnology deals with processes, which end up with creation of bioobject-helped means or substances of medical application. These are antibiotics, vitamins, amino acids, nucleosides, etc.

Immune biotechnology covers production of vaccine, immune modulators, immune mediators, mono-clonal antibodies, etc.

Biogeotechnology is a subdiscipline focusing on usage of microorganisms for minerals recovery, e.g. non-ferrous metals, oil; for oxidizing of methane in coal mines, etc.

112

Engineering enzymology is based on employment of catalytic functions of ferments (or ferment systems) in isolated state or integrated into live cells for obtaining corresponding purpose products. Here bioobject is a ferment (or a group of ferments). Common practice is to use immobilized ferments. In this case their fermentation activity is stabilized and prolonged.

In scientific literature, one can come across other terms for biotechnological processes, for example, ―Biotechnology of Animal Cell‖, ―Economics Biotechnology‖, ―Fermentation and Bioengineering‖, ―Industrial Microbiology‖, ―Agricultural Biotechnology‖, ―Biochemical Engineering‖ etc.

Yet, it is more sensible to subdivide biotechnology into microbial, plant or phyto biotechnology, and animal or zoo biotechnology, the latter includes biotechnological processes based on use of human cells.

Microbial biotechnology is the leader in the number of realized processes.

Biotechnology is a modem and top-priority speciality taught to future qualified technologists of the foodstuff industry. The basis of the training is a range of chemistry-biological subjects: biology and microbiology; biochemistry; theoretical and general biotechnology; foodstuff biotechnology; processes and apparatuses of biotechnological facilities, etc. Besides, according to the State Standards, one envisages broad generalscientific education with advanced study of physics and mathematics; computer technology; economics and management. Senior students specialize, with the help of would-be employers, in the following processes: meat-and-dairy; oil-and-fat; baking; distilling or alcoholic beverage industry; beer brewing; cheese-making; pharmacy; proteins and vitamins; cosmetics, etc.

Having obtained an MSc degree in Biotechnology, you‘ll be able:

to work out and create new technologies of medicaments‘ manufacturing;

to modernize current technologies of pharmaceutical industry with the aim to cut costs of products;

to organize mass production of biologically active substances for pharmaceutical and food industries:

to develop up-to-date technologies of products‘ manufacturing with higher taste qualities, prolonged terms of storage and sale in oil-and fat,

113

115

116

Complete the sentences choosing the correct ending for each sentence:

Biological processes are those ... microbes.

117