Singapore · SEABSyllabus
Biotechnology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Singapore Biotechnologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Applications in Agriculture and Industry
Module overview →- Can we use living microorganisms to clean up oil spills, treat sewage and break down pollution?Describe how microorganisms are used to treat waste and clean up pollution through bioremediation8 min answer →
- How do microorganisms turn milk into yoghurt, dough into bread, and sugar into beer?Describe how microorganisms are used in food and drink production through fermentation8 min answer →
- How can adding a single gene make a crop resist pests, survive drought, or carry extra nutrients?Describe how crops are genetically modified and discuss the benefits and concerns of GM crops9 min answer →
- Why do detergents, food factories and fuel plants all rely on enzymes and microorganisms?Describe the use of enzymes in industry and the production of biofuels, and explain their advantages9 min answer →
Applications in Medicine and Health
Module overview →- How can biotechnology spot a disease or a faulty gene, sometimes before any symptoms appear?Describe how biotechnology is used in diagnosis and genetic screening, and discuss the implications8 min answer →
- Could we treat disease by fixing the faulty gene itself, or by growing fresh, healthy cells?Outline the principles of gene therapy and the use of stem cells in medicine, and discuss their potential and limitations9 min answer →
- How did we go from extracting insulin from animals to brewing pure human insulin in vats of bacteria?Describe how recombinant DNA technology is used to produce medicines such as human insulin9 min answer →
- How do vaccines train the body to fight disease, and how can we make a single, targeted antibody on demand?Describe how biotechnology is used to produce vaccines and monoclonal antibodies and outline their uses9 min answer →
Bioethics and Biosafety
Module overview →- How do you stay safe, and keep others safe, when working with microorganisms and chemicals in a biotechnology laboratory?Describe the hazards in a biotechnology laboratory and the biosafety measures used to control them8 min answer →
- Just because we can do something with biotechnology, does that mean we should?Discuss the main ethical issues raised by biotechnology and how they can be weighed up9 min answer →
- Who decides whether a new biotechnology product is safe to use, and why must people agree before their genes are tested?Explain the role of regulation in biotechnology and the importance of informed consent8 min answer →
- Beyond the laboratory, how does biotechnology change society and the environment, for better and for worse?Discuss the social and environmental impacts of biotechnology, including its benefits and risks8 min answer →
Cells and Microorganisms
Module overview →- How do you stop unwanted microbes from ruining a culture, and keep yourself safe while handling them?Describe aseptic technique and methods of sterilisation, and explain why they are essential in biotechnology8 min answer →
- When you grow bacteria in a flask, how does their number change over time, and what do they need to grow?Describe the phases of microbial population growth and the conditions microorganisms require to grow9 min answer →
- Why are bacteria, yeasts and fungi the favourite living tools of the biotechnology industry?Describe the main groups of microorganisms used in biotechnology and explain why they are suitable as biological tools8 min answer →
- How do we see something as small as a cell, and how can we work out its real size from a magnified image?Describe the use of the light microscope and calculate magnification and actual size from an image9 min answer →
- What are the basic building blocks of all living things, and how do bacterial cells differ from plant and animal cells?Describe the structure of plant, animal and bacterial cells and identify the functions of their main parts9 min answer →
DNA and Genetic Material
Module overview →- Before a cell divides, how does it make a perfect copy of all its DNA?Describe how DNA is replicated, including the role of the template strand and complementary base pairing8 min answer →
- How can you get the DNA out of living cells and actually see it, using everyday materials?Describe how DNA can be extracted from cells in the laboratory and explain the purpose of each step8 min answer →
- How does the order of bases in a gene end up deciding what protein a cell makes?Explain how a gene codes for a protein through transcription and translation using the genetic code9 min answer →
- Once you have a gene, how do you actually carry it into a cell so the cell will use it?Describe plasmids and other vectors and explain how they are used to carry genes into host cells8 min answer →
- What is DNA actually made of, and how does its shape let it store the instructions for life?Describe the structure of DNA as a double helix of nucleotides with complementary base pairing9 min answer →
Genetic Engineering Techniques
Module overview →- How do we read the exact order of bases in DNA, and how does that give each person a unique genetic fingerprint?Describe the purpose of DNA sequencing and how genetic profiling produces a pattern unique to an individual8 min answer →
- How can we separate a mixture of DNA pieces by size and read the result as a pattern of bands?Describe gel electrophoresis and explain how it separates DNA fragments by size9 min answer →
- Once a gene is inside a plasmid, how do you get bacteria to take it up and make millions of copies?Describe how host cells are transformed with recombinant DNA and how transformed cells are identified and grown9 min answer →
- How do scientists cut DNA at exactly the right place and then glue pieces back together?Describe the action of restriction enzymes and DNA ligase and explain how they are used to make recombinant DNA9 min answer →
- Starting from a tiny trace of DNA, how can we make millions of copies in a few hours?Describe the polymerase chain reaction and explain how it amplifies a specific DNA sequence9 min answer →
Introduction to Biotechnology
Module overview →- Cells and molecules are far too small to see, so how do we measure and talk about their size in a laboratory?Use appropriate units to describe the size of cells, molecules and laboratory volumes, and convert between them9 min answer →
- Who actually works in biotechnology, and how does a discovery in a laboratory become a product people can buy?Describe the structure of the biotechnology industry, its main sectors, and the range of careers it offers8 min answer →
- How is the brewing our ancestors did thousands of years ago connected to today's gene-editing laboratories?Distinguish between traditional and modern biotechnology and describe how techniques have developed over time8 min answer →
- What do we actually mean by biotechnology, and why does using living things to make products matter today?Define biotechnology and describe how living organisms and their parts are used to make useful products and provide services8 min answer →
Laboratory Techniques
Module overview →- How do you grow bacteria on a plate so that each cell forms a separate, countable colony?Describe how to culture bacteria on agar and use streaking and spreading to obtain colonies8 min answer →
- How do factories grow microorganisms in huge tanks and keep the conditions perfect for making a product?Describe the use of a bioreactor (fermenter) for large-scale culture and the conditions it controls9 min answer →
- How do you measure out a few millionths of a litre accurately, and make up a solution to the concentration you need?Describe how to use a micropipette accurately and how to prepare a solution of a required concentration9 min answer →
- How do you dilute a sample millions of times in steps, and use the dilution to count the cells in the original?Describe serial dilution and use the dilution factor to calculate concentrations and cell numbers9 min answer →