Bioremediation:
It is defined as the use of microorganisms or plants to clean up environmental pollution.
Some examples of bioremediation technologies are :
(i) Phytoremediation - use of plants to bring about remediation of environmental pollutants.
(ii) Mycoremediation - use of fungi to bring about remediation of environmental pollutants.
(iii) Bioventing is the process that increases the oxygen or air flow to accelerate the degradation of environmental pollutants.
(iv) Bioleaching is the use of microorganisms in solution to recover metal pollutants from contaminated sites
(v) Bioaugmentation is the addition of selected microbes to speed up degradation process.
(vi) Composting is the process by which the solid waste is composted by the use of microbes into manure which acts as a nutrient for plant growth.
(vii) Rhizofiltration is the uptake of metals or degradation of organic compounds by rhizosphere microorganisms
(viii) Rhizostimulation is the stimulation of plant growth by the rhizosphere by providing better growth condition or reduction in toxic materials

Advantages of Herbicide Tolerant Crops:
1. Weed control improves higher crop yields;
2. Reduces spray of herbicide;
3. Reduces competition between crop plant and weed;
4. Use of low toxicity compounds which do not remain active in the soil; and
5. The ability to conserve soil structure and microbes.

  Southern blotting Northern blotting Western blotting Name  Southern name of the inventor   Northern a misnomer  Western a misnomer Separation of  DNA  RNA  Proteins Denaturation  Needed   Not Needed  Needed Membrane   Nitrocellulose/nylon  Amino benzyloxmethyl  Nitrocellulose Hybridisation  DNA-DNA  RNA-DNA  Protein-antibody Visualising  Autoradiogram  Autoradiogram  Dark room

Direct or Vector less Gene Transfer
In the direct gene transfer methods, the foreign gene of interest is delivered into the host plant without the help of a vector, The following are some of the common methods of direct gene transfer in plants.
(i) Chemical mediated gene transfer: Certain chemicals like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran sulphate induce DNA uptake into plant protoplasts.
(ii) Microinjection: The DNA is directly injected into the nucleus using fine tipped glass needle or micro pipette to transform plant cells. The protoplasts are immobilized on a solid support (agarose on a microscopic slide) or held with a holding pipette under section.
(iii) Electroporation Methods of Gene Transfer: A pulse of high voltage is applied to protoplasts, cells or tissues which makes transient pores in the plasma membrane through which uptake of foreign DNA occurs.

(iv) Liposome mediated method of Gene transfer: Liposomes the artificial phospholipid vesicles are useful in gene transfer. The gene or DNA is transferred from liposome into vacuole of plant cells. It is carried out by encapsulating DNA into the vacuole. This technique is advantageous because the liposome protects the introduced DNA from being damaged by the acidic pH and protease enzymes present in the vacuole. Liposome and tonoplast of  vacuole fusion resulted in gene transfer. This process is called lipofection.

(v) Biolistics: The foreign DNA is coated onto the surface of minute gold or tungsten particles (1-3 \(\mu\)m) and bombarded onto the target tissue or cells using a particle gun (also called as gene gun/ micro projectile gun/shotgun) Then the bombarded cells or tissues are cultured on selected medium to regenerate plants from the transformed cells.

Applications of Biotechnology
1. Biotechnology is one of the most important applied interdisciplinary sciences of the 21st century. It is the trusted area that enables us to find the beneficial way of life.
2. Biotechnology has wide applications in various sectors like agriculture, medicine, environment and commercial industries.
3. This science has an invaluable outcome like transgenic varieties of plants e.g. transgenic cotton (Bt-cotton), rice, tomato, tobacco, cauliflower, potato and banana.
4. The development of transgenics as pesticide resistant, stress resistant and disease resistant varieties of agricultural crops is the immense outcome of biotechnology.
5. The synthesis of human insulin and blood protein in E.coli and utilized for insulin deficiency disorder in human is a breakthrough in biotech industries in medicine.
6. The synthesis of vaccines, enzymes, antibiotics, dairy products and beverages are the products of biotech industries.
7. Biochip based biological computer is one of the successes of biotechnology.
8. Genetic engineering involves genetic manipulation, tissue culture involves aseptic cultivation of totipotent plant cell into plant clones under controlled atmospheric conditions.
9. Single cell protein from Spirulina is utilized in food industries.
10. Production of secondary metabolites, biofertilizers, biopesticides and enzymes.
11. Biomass energy, biofuel, bioremediation and phytoremediation for environmental biotechnology.

Modern biotechnology
(i) There are two main features of this technology, that differentiated it from the conventional technology are its
i) ability to change the genetic material for getting new products with specific requirements through recombinant DNA technology
ii) ownership of the newly developed technology and its social impact.
(ii) Modern biotechnology embraces all methods of genetic modification by recombinant DNA and cell fusion technology.
The major focus of biotechnology are
(i) Fermentation for production of acids, enzymes, alcohols, antibiotics, fine chemicals, vitamins and toxins
(ii) Biomass for bulk production of single cell protein , alcohol, and biofuel
(iii) Enzymes as biosensors, in processing industry
(iv) Biofuels for production of hydrogen, alcohol, methane
(v) Microbial inoculants as biofertilizer, and nitrogen fixers
(vi) Plant and animal cell culture for production of secondary metabolites, monoclonal antibodies
(vii) Recombinant DNA technology for production of fine chemicals, enzymes, vaccines, growth hormones, antibiotics, and interferon.
(viii) Process engineering - tools of biotechnology is used for effluent treatment , water recycling.