FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LOKOJA

DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

A TWO DAYS FIELD TRIP REPORT

BTC 301

SCI22BTC082
ABGOOLA SOEEQ OLAMIPOSI

15th January 2025 and 16th January 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 RELEVANCE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO MOLECULAR LABORATORY

FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES 1.2 HOW CAN A PARTICULAR DNA BE
AMPLIFIED?
2.1 CONFLUENCE MAT AND SACK LOKOJA
2.2 STEPS INVOLVED IN MAT PRODUCTION
1.1 Relevance of biotechnology to molecular laboratory for infectious
disease
Biotechnology plays a vital role in molecular laboratories. Here are
some relevance of biotechnology to molecular laboratories
1. Biotechnology enables the development of PCR, a molecular
diagnostic tool used to detect and identify pathogens
2. Biotechnology facilitates molecular epidemiology which enables
researchers to track disease outbreak and identify source
3. Biotechnology has brought about the treatment of genetic
diseases or defects using gene therapy
4. Biotechnology enables the development of vaccines which are
crucial for disease prevention and control
The center focus of the molecular laboratory is the deoxyribonucleic
acid(DNA). The DNA can be amplified and used for various purposes in
the laboratory such as research purposes, development of vaccines and
gene therapy.

1.2 How can a particular gene in a DNA be amplified?

Amplification refers to the process of increasing the number of copies
of a specific DNA sequence, this is used to generate enough templates
for analysis or experimentation. This involves a process called
polymerase chain reaction(PCR).
There are 3 sections involved in the polymerase chain reaction
 i. Pre PCR section ii.
PCR section iii.
Post PCR section
Note that before any activity is taken in the laboratory precautionary
measures are to be taken. Scientist are to put on personal protective
wears to avoid exposure to pathogens or harmful chemicals. This
process is called donning, donning must be done before any carrying
out any form of activity in the laboratory. All activity in a laboratory
must proceed in a single direction work flow.
i. THE PRE PCR SECTION
In the PCR section the sample is processed and decontaminated
using a class 3 biosafety cabinet to reduce its infectiousness. Here
are some features of the class 3 biosafety cabinet
a. It is used to handle highly pathogenic organism
b. It has an air tight enclosure
c. It has dual HEPA filter
d. Presence of UV light for sterilization
After the infectiousness of the pathogen or organism might have
been reduced. We extract a sample from the organism. This
process is carried out in the sample extraction room. Sample can
be extracted manually using a biosafety cabinet or automatically.
Other segments in the pre PCR section
a. Biorepository: this is place where biological materials that are not
currently in use are kept for future use. An example is a blood
sample.
b. Master mix and reagent room: this is a room where a mix
containing all necessary reagents for a particular laboratory
reaction is prepared
c. Template addition room: this is a room where the template strand
of interest is added to a reaction. This is a process that must be
done carefully to avoid contamination. ii. THE PCR SECTION
This section plays a vital role in amplification because this is the
section where amplification of target DNA takes place.
There are different types of PCR used in amplification. Examples are:
Multiplex PCR
Real time and quantitative PCR
Convectional PCR
How does PCR work?
There are 3 main process in polymerase chain reaction
a. Denaturing: This process involves using heat to separate the
double helix structure of the DNA into two separate strands. This
is done at a very high temperature
b. Annealing: this process involves the addition of primer, which
serves as starting point for the synthesis of new DNA strand
c. Extension: Here, the synthesis of daughter DNA strand from the
template strand occurs.
III. Post PCR section
Several activities can be carried out in the post PCR section such as:
Agarose gel electrophoresis
DNA sequencing
PCR product purification
DNA fragment analysis
Data analysis

2.1 Confluence mat and sack factory Lokoja

This is a polymer company located at Lokoja. This company
specializes in the production of mats from plastics and sack.
Sack is gotten from a virgin polymer only. The raw material
used in the production of mat is pipe while the raw material for
the production of sack is tape. This polymer company has
helped in the reduction of plastic waste in the society.
Biotechnology plays a crucial role in this company in the
following ways
a. Biotechnology helps to develop microorganism that can
degrade plastic materials thereby reducing waste and
environmental pollution.
b. Biotechnology helps in production of biofuels to power
machinery in the company as electricity is one of the major
setback in the polymer industry
c. Biotechnology can inspire the development of new,
sustainable materials for mat production, reducing the
industry reliance on traditional plastics.
2.2 STEPS INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MAT
1. Gathering of plastics from dump sites to the industry where
they will be sorted into different types of plastics or
polymers.
 2. The plastics are washed thoroughly like 4 to 5 times so as to
avoid dirt blocking certain machineries during the mat
production process
3. The next step is the grinding process where the plastic
materials are grinded
4. After grinding the grinded plastics are taken to the pelletizer
where they converted into pellets. The pelletizer requires a
minimum of 3 hours of electricity to function properly
5. Pellets are moved to the extruder where pellets are
converted to a thin long profile used in mat production.
6. These thin long profile are taken to the weaving machine.
Weaving is done using specialized techniques and methods
depending on the type of mat design
7. Finishing is the final step in mat production. This is a process
whereby the mats produced are inspected carefully so as to
ensure the mat meets required standard and get them ready
for distribution.
Note that the pellets from the pelletizer can be sold to other
factories where they can be used in the production of other
materials or they can be further used in mat production.
CONCLUSION

1. Visit to Molecular Laboratory FMC Lokoja and Its Relationship to

Biotechnology: In conclusion, the visit to the Molecular Laboratory
at FMC Lokoja highlighted the vital role of medical biotechnology
 in advancing healthcare. Techniques such as polymerase chain
reaction (PCR), gene sequencing, and molecular diagnostics are
integral to disease detection and treatment. The laboratory’s
application of genetic engineering and molecular biology
exemplifies how biotechnology is used to develop novel therapies,
improve diagnostic accuracy, and contribute to personalized
medicine. This visit underscored the importance of biomedical
biotechnology in revolutionizing public health through cutting-
edge innovations in diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.

2. Confluence to Mats and Sacks and Its Relationship to

Biotechnology: In conclusion, the exploration of the confluence of
mats and sacks illuminated the role of industrial biotechnology
and environmental biotechnology in enhancing material
production and cleaning the environment of the plastic wastes.
The use of biotechnological processes such as fermentation,
biopolymer synthesis, and enzyme applications can lead to the
creation of eco-friendly, biodegradable materials. These
biotechnological innovations can reduce reliance on synthetic,
petroleum-based materials, promoting environmental
sustainability. The integration of white biotechnology (industrial
biotechnology) can transform the production processes of mats
and sacks, fostering a shift toward greener, more sustainable
practices in material manufacturing
I will like to thank all those who made this trip a success starting from
the HOD (Dr.Gbenga Olorunshola Alege), Field trip coordinator (Mrs.
Adams Awotu), Le cturers (Mrs Aminat, Mr. Danlami Dauda, Mr. Seun
Alakanse), our non-teaching staff (Mr. Gabriel Ogar), Management of
Molecular laboratory FMC lokoja and finally Director of Confluence
Mats and Sack for their effort and time in making this trip possible and I
look forward to another trip in the nearest future