Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services. At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology, which harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. Biotechnology uses living cells to develop or manipulate products for specific purposes, such as genetically modified foods.
The modern practice of biotechnology draws from various disciplines of science and technology, including molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and chemical engineering. Biotechnology has existed since the beginning of civilization with the domestication of plants, animals, and the discovery of fermentation. Early applications of biotech led to the development of products such as bread and vaccines. However, the discipline has evolved significantly over the last century in ways that manipulate the genetic structures and biomolecular processes of living organisms.
The major driving force for biotechnology in the next century will be the strategic use of genomic information. Biotechnology is used in various fields, including human and animal health, agriculture, environment, and specialty biochemical manufacturing. The science of biotechnology is broken down into sub-disciplines that are color-coded based on common uses and applications. Some of the important areas of development include:
- Red biotechnology: involves medical processes, such as the development of vaccines and gene therapy.
- Green biotechnology: involves agricultural processes, such as the development of genetically modified crops.
- White biotechnology: involves industrial processes, such as the development of biodegradable plastics.
- Blue biotechnology: involves marine and aquatic processes, such as the development of new medicines from marine organisms.
- Brown biotechnology: involves the use of biotechnology in arid and desert soils to include highly resistant plant species that increase the flora and biodiversity of these environments.
- Purple biotechnology: involves the legal study of the very aspects of this science, such as intellectual property, patents, and the biosafety of processes involving biotechnology.
In summary, biotechnology is a field that uses living cells to develop or manipulate products for specific purposes, such as genetically modified foods, and it draws from various disciplines of science and technology. Biotechnology has various applications in human and animal health, agriculture, environment, and specialty biochemical manufacturing, and it is broken down into sub-disciplines based on common uses and applications.
