What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology, in the broadest sense, involves the use of living organisms or cell processes to make useful products. The major thrust of the biotechnology industry has been in area of drug development, human and animal nutrition, agricultural chemicals and environmental protection. The baking of bread and the fermentation process for the production of alcohol are historical uses of biotechnology. In the future biotechnology will be used to:
- cure or treat genetic disorders
- produce pharmaceuticals and diagnostic system for disease detection and treatment
- produce plants that are resistant to herbicides, pests, drought and temperature extremes
- increase the yields, nutrition, shelf life and taste of vegetables, fruits and grains
- lower the growing time for forest products and make trees that are more resistant to natural maladies and incorporate selected traits
- lead to enhanced oil recovery, reduce pollution, and provide new processes for raw materials
- increase the meat or milk production of animals
- and a whole host of other products and uses that are as yet not thought of.
Biotechnology has in recent years moved out of the research laboratory
and into commercial development. An appreciation of the capabilities and
limitations of biotechnology is rooted in an understanding of the
fundamental chemical and biological processes that sustain life. These
processes are primarily concentrated in the organisms' cell(s). There are
three primary technologies that have to-date been of interest, recombinant
DNA technologies, monoclonal antibody technologies and bioprocess
technologies. From these three technologies has come the myriad of products
such as gene therapy, microbial pesticides, pharmaceuticals and new plant
products. The biotechnology industry has developed slowly over the past
twenty years. However, we have not yet began to see all of the potential.
Over the next one hundred years, it is thought to be the single most
significant, new technology development in the world. back..