Herbert Boyer: The Perfect Nominee
Nicholas Henderson
100882432
James J. Cheetham
BIOL 1010
October 6th, 2015 In the world of biotechnology there have been a large number of individuals and groups that have made significant discoveries, products, methods, companies, etc. Some date back all the way to ancient civilizations and others being a little closer to modern day. Biotechnology shaped, and continues to do so, our world, how we produce, how we cure and even how we eat. There are very little aspects in our day-to-day lives that are not touched by biotechnologies. That being said, the nominee that I would like to present is one from a decade not too unlike ours and helped make the lives of so many a secure one. Scientist, discoverer …show more content…
By 1973, they had succeeded. With the help of Boyer’s discovery of the EcoRI enzyme and the bacterial plasmid that Cohan had earlier isolated, the first ever recombinant DNA had been created. With the newly found technique patented by Boyer and Cohan, Boyer started a business with venture capitalist Robert Sawson, come to be known as Genentech. The company has since been one of the biggest in the business and with the help of Boyer, demonstrated “how bacteria could be genetically modified for the mass production of human proteins, such as insulin and growth hormones, for therapy” (Herbert …show more content…
Through his efforts and discoveries, he helped pave the way for the “widespread adoption of genetic engineering in both academic and industrial settings”, not to mention the birth of the modern day biotech industry (Herbert Boyer). With that in mind, the very definition of biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes for industrial uses, which is exactly what Boyer did and he was the first to make it at such a large scale. This is definitely a game changer as this led to the creation and production of insulin to those who need it to live but also a variety of other medicines and remedies. Similar bacteria using this method have been used to synthesize growth hormones to treat some forms of dwarfism (Genentech 1979). Not to mention engineering clotting factor to help treat Hemophilia with, again, similar bacteria (Digital Science 2011). Furthermore, past methods, which have now become obsolete with the discovery of recombinant DNA due to their high risks of transmitting blood-borne pathogens, like HIV and hepatitis C (Key & Negrier 2007). Boyer’s discovery dramatically changed the ways humans go about treating diseases and still change things in our lives to this day, this is what makes his contribution such a huge impact; it is
Nicholas Henderson
100882432
James J. Cheetham
BIOL 1010
October 6th, 2015 In the world of biotechnology there have been a large number of individuals and groups that have made significant discoveries, products, methods, companies, etc. Some date back all the way to ancient civilizations and others being a little closer to modern day. Biotechnology shaped, and continues to do so, our world, how we produce, how we cure and even how we eat. There are very little aspects in our day-to-day lives that are not touched by biotechnologies. That being said, the nominee that I would like to present is one from a decade not too unlike ours and helped make the lives of so many a secure one. Scientist, discoverer …show more content…
By 1973, they had succeeded. With the help of Boyer’s discovery of the EcoRI enzyme and the bacterial plasmid that Cohan had earlier isolated, the first ever recombinant DNA had been created. With the newly found technique patented by Boyer and Cohan, Boyer started a business with venture capitalist Robert Sawson, come to be known as Genentech. The company has since been one of the biggest in the business and with the help of Boyer, demonstrated “how bacteria could be genetically modified for the mass production of human proteins, such as insulin and growth hormones, for therapy” (Herbert …show more content…
Through his efforts and discoveries, he helped pave the way for the “widespread adoption of genetic engineering in both academic and industrial settings”, not to mention the birth of the modern day biotech industry (Herbert Boyer). With that in mind, the very definition of biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes for industrial uses, which is exactly what Boyer did and he was the first to make it at such a large scale. This is definitely a game changer as this led to the creation and production of insulin to those who need it to live but also a variety of other medicines and remedies. Similar bacteria using this method have been used to synthesize growth hormones to treat some forms of dwarfism (Genentech 1979). Not to mention engineering clotting factor to help treat Hemophilia with, again, similar bacteria (Digital Science 2011). Furthermore, past methods, which have now become obsolete with the discovery of recombinant DNA due to their high risks of transmitting blood-borne pathogens, like HIV and hepatitis C (Key & Negrier 2007). Boyer’s discovery dramatically changed the ways humans go about treating diseases and still change things in our lives to this day, this is what makes his contribution such a huge impact; it is