Biotechnology works at cellular level. One major area of biotechnology involves studying and/or modifying natural genetic characteristics. This has provided new products for medical, agricultural and other businesses. The human genome project is a famous example of research falling under biotechnology.
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It is the genes in the DNA (in the cells) of living things that determine their characteristics (and illnesses). If you can control the genes, you can change these characteristics (and cure illnesses). For example, genetically modified crops - GM crops - can be made to look and taste differently (and made immune to the pests and weed-destroying herbicides that can damage them).
Biotechnology has been in use for medical purposes for quite some time now. For example, insulin, human interferon and human growth hormone have been produced using bacteria. Relevant genes were injected into bacterial cells that then treated these like any other native gene and replicated them. The new genes produced insulin etc that enabled production of these pharmaceuticals on a vast scale, and inexpensively.
GM crops were another practical application. The DNA of plants were modified so that they became immune to environmental dangers like pests (and human induced ones like weedicides). GM crops are being increasingly used in North America and countries like Brazil while in other countries GM is not all that popular owing to health and other concerns.
Another application coming under biotechnology was human identification. Each person's DNA is unique, and can be used to identify that person. If you can find a small DNA sample at a scene of crime, for example, tests can prove that it belonged to a particular person who must have been present at the scene.
Once the genes associated with various genetic illnesses are identified, biotechnology can be used to work at gene level and find cures. The cures might involve making good any lack of relevant genes or their repair. For viral and other non-genetic diseases, biotechnological approaches might prove more effective and less expensive than current treatment methods.
Another benefit of biotechnology can be in removing hunger. When the apprehensions related to GM crops are satisfactorily allayed, their use can become widespread and can lead to far higher agricultural productivity and less damage to environment from pesticides and other chemicals.
Biotechnology might also come to help in developing molecular level engineering and production methods for inexpensive creation of existing and new materials. The promise of biotechnology is thus vast.
If you wish to explore this field, visit BIO , world's largest biotechnology organization, providing advocacy, business development and communications services for more than 1,150 members worldwide.
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Complete, fully updated introduction to biochemical and bioprocess engineering. Reflects powerful advances that are transforming the field, ranging from genetic sequencing to new techniques for producing proteins from recombinant DNA.
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