“Biotechnology is one of the key forces to promote food security, social progress and economic prosperity in the world.”
-Hepeng Jla
History
Modern biotechnology arose around the end of the nineteenth century when the work on genetics was concluded by Mendel and some institutes for investigation on various processes were set up. At the start of the twentieth century, manufacturing and farming industries began to include biotechnology in their processes. The flourishing machine industry and automobile industry, for example, practiced using fermentation to produce acetone and paint solutions. Later, significant progressions were done in genetics and these dominated the biotech research. This was the time when Watson and Crick discovered genetic code and structure of DNA. Today scholars and ethicists work along with research experts and advocates to plan what we can do and what we should do to help the nation with genetic knowledge.
Biotechnology is a wide discipline that harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies that help in improving the health and lives of the people.
It is one of the most progressive and advantageous scientific progress of the quarter-century. It deals with creating new products and modifying the existing ones according to the dynamic needs. With genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology and cell biology- as theoretical and chemical engineering, information technology and robotics as practical aptitudes, biotech finds its application in different industries like from food, pharmaceutical, chemical, bio-products, textiles, medicine, nutrition to environmental conservation etc. Due to numerous applications of biotech, even after many challenges it gives us multiple career opportunities.
It is trying to make the world a better place.
Biological systems are divided into five groups and corresponds to five types of biotechnology by object criterion, they are:
− Animal biotechnology;
− Cell and cell culture bio-technologies;
However, there are two types of biotechnology by the level of human intervention in a biological system: cell biotechnology focused on micromanipulations with nuclei and cells.
“Blue” biotechnology is focused on efficiently using the resources of the ocean, particularly the marine biota for food, medical and other biologically active substances.
“White” biotechnology uses industrial biotechnology which concentrates on the manufacturing of goods which are earlier produced by the chemical industry, for instance, alcohol, vitamins, amino acids etc.
“Red” is one of the most important areas of modern biotechnology that includes the generation of drugs and diagnostics using cellular technology and genetic engineering.
“Green Biotechnology incorporates the field of agriculture and is intended to produce biotechnological methods and produce that controls pests and pathogens of crops and livestock, production of biofertilizers, the productivity of plants using genetic engineering tools.
“Grey” biotechnology appointments the technologies and drugs for protecting the environment, specifically: soil re-cultivation, discharge treatment, pollution abatement, recycling and utilization of industrial waste, degradation of toxicants with the help of bioprocesses and biologically active factors.
Importance of Biotechnology
Health- Biotechnology helps in healing the world by employing nature's toolbox and doing our genetic makeup to improve and guide research by diminishing rates of infectious disease, saving numerous lives by altering the chances of severe, life-threatening conditions concerning millions throughout the world, tailoring approaches for treatments to individuals to decrease health risks and side effects, generating more precise tools for finding the disease, combating dangerous sicknesses and common problems and challenges confronting the developing world.