Essential Information & explanations, latest texts & monographs on
Biotechnology.
Biotechnology
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 the most all-encompassing:
"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 by humans for production (beer, milk-products, skin). Naturally present bacteria are also involved in the mining industry in bioleaching. Other uses of biotechnology involve recycling, treatment of waste, cleaning up sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation) or production of biowar agents.
There are also applications of biotechnology that do not use living organisms. An example are DNA chips used in genetics, or radioactive tracers used in medicine.
Although biotechnology is publicly associated with cloning and genetic engineering, the goal of biotechnology is to advance the tools of medicine and solve problems related to the production of biologically derived products, not the whimsical manipulation of life.
Today, biotechnology, or modern biotechnology, is often associated to the use of genetically altered microorganisms such as E. coli or yeast for producing substances like insulin or antibiotics. It can also refer to transgenic animals or transgenic plants, such as Bt corn. Genetically altered Mammalian cells, such as Chinese Hamster ovarian cells, are also widely used to manufacture pharmaceuticals.
Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide")
1 Sub-fields of biotechnology
2 Biotechnology timeline
3 Biotechnology firms
4 See also
Sub-fields of biotechnology
There are number of jargon terms for sub-fields of biotechnology.
Red biotechnology is biotechnology applied to medical processes. An example would include an organism designed to produce an antibiotic, or engineering genetic cures to diseases through genomic manipulation.
White biotechnology, also known as grey biotechnology, is biotechnology applied to industrial processes. An example would include an organism designed to produce a useful chemical. White biotechnology tends to consume less resources that traditional processes when used to produce industrial goods.
Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to agricultural processes. An example would include an organism designed to grow under specific environmental conditions or in the presence (or absence) of certain agricultural chemicals. Green biotechnology tends to produce more environmentally friendly solutions then traditional industrial agriculture. An example of this would include a plant engineered to express a pesticide, thereby eliminating the need for external application of pesticides.
The term blue biotechnology has also been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology, but its use is relatively rare.
Biotechnology timeline
Biotechnology firms
- Genentech
- biocon -india
- shantha biotech-india
See also
Major fields of technology
Biotechnology | Computing technology | Electrical engineering | Electronics | Microtechnology | Nanotechnology | Biomedical engineering | Energy storage | Machinery | Space technology | Nuclear technology | Visual technology | Weapons technology | Telecommunication | Transport
The above article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
Bioinformatics for Dummies by Jean-Michel Claverie
Genome by Matt Ridley
His Brother's Keeper : A Story from the Edge of Medicine by Jonathan Weiner
Building Global Biobrands : Taking Biotechnology to Market by Philip Kotler
Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea by Mark A. Ratner
Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating by Jeffrey M. Smith
Cartoon Guide to Genetics by Larry Gonick
Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (3-Volume Set) by Joseph Sambrook
Food, Inc. : Mendel to Monsanto--The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest by Peter Pringle
BILLION DOLLAR MOLECULE: THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT DRUG by Barry Werth
From Alchemy to IPO: The Business of Biotechnology by Cynthia Robbins-Roth
Pandora's Baby : How the First Test Tube Babies Sparked the Reproductive Revolution by Robin Marantz Henig
Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution by Francis Fukuyama
A Field Guide to Bacteria by Betsey Dexter Dyer
White Devils by Paul McAuley
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Recent Biotechnology related patents
From USPTO:
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from PUBMED
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Biotechnology. Human Genome Sciences retrenches, Haseltine moves on.
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Biotechnology for consumer use : voluntary, non-medical, DNA identity banks as
commodity products.
Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2004;4(2):69-72.
PMID: 15059029
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Characteristics of immobilized lipase on hydrophobic superparamagnetic
microspheres to catalyze esterification.
Biotechnol Prog. 2004 Mar-Apr;20(2):500-6.
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Founder bows out as genomic firm slashes workforce.
Nature. 2004 Apr 1;428(6982):456.
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Microfluidics in Biotechnology.
J Nanobiotechnology. 2004 Mar 31 [Epub ahead of print]
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Transgenic foods as a tool for malnutrition elimination and their impact on
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Opportunities in the industrial biobased products industry.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2004 Feb;115(1-3):871-86.
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Characterization of Surfactin from Bacillus subtilis for Application as an
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