What is biotechnology?
The definition of biotechnology varies, but a simple definition is the use of organisms by man. One example of biotechnology is cloning. We have been cloning plants for centuries. Each time a leaf is excised from a violet plant and placed in soil to grow a new plant, cloning has occurred. Today, we are not only doing the physical manipulation at the visual level but also on the molecular level. In modern or molecular biotechnology, we physically select the desired characteristic at the molecular level and add it to the organism’s genetic makeup. Biotechnology is the science for this century. With its advances, we are on the first part of a great journey. Humans have expanded their understanding of the biosphere by journeying into space and exploring the depths of the ocean. We have not only been able to look at the surrounding universe and the depths below with the advancement of tools and techniques, but we also have been able to live there. The advancement tools and techniques is now
Biotech companies are generally thought of as companies formed after 1972 (as opposed to the large pharmaceutical companies that have been around for much longer). In general, in addition to being younger, biotech companies tend to be smaller as well. Biotech companies tend to focus on bigger molecules than Big Pharma such as protein therapies (recombinant proteins) and genomics. However, as these firms grow, some are venturing into the small molecule business and some large pharmaceutical companies are entering the large molecule market. Look here for an article about the top ten biotechnologies that will save lives over the next decade and here for an overview of careers in biotech with more info on job resources and why you might want to enter the field.
The term biotechnology, often referred to as biotech, brings to mind many different things. Many people think that biotechnology only involves genetic research. Cloning, the human genome project, movies, news, and pop culture focusing on genetic research have contributed to this. However, the field of biotechnology is much more broad. Genetic engineering of crops for agriculture, bioremediation, food processing, drugs, and proteomics are all included in the field of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the branch of technology that utilizes living organisms or biological systems to modify humans and their environment. Biotechnology is also not only limited to high-tech or prototype technologies, humans have been practicing biotechnology for centuries. The most primitive examples include the breeding of dogs and using yeast to make bread rise. What advantage do the products of biotechnology have over regular drugs and treatments? Drugs and therapies from Gattaga are designed to be most effec
Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. Of the many different definitions available, the one formulated by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the broadest: Biotechnology is any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. One section of biotechnology is the directed use of organisms for the manufacture of organic products (examples include beer, milk-products, and skin). Naturally present bacteria are utilized by the mining industry in bioleaching. Biotechnology is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation), and produce biological weapons. There are also applications of biotechnology that do not use living organisms. Examples are DNA microarrays used in genetics and radioactive tracers used in medicine. Modern biotechnology is of
