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Biotechnology – Since time immemorial
Biotechnology – Since time immemorial
Biotechnology – Since time immemorial
Biotechnology is by no means a new discipline. The roots of modern biotechnology lie in the
fermentation of foods and drinks for example older (traditional) biotechnology is the industrial

manufacture of beer. Modern biotechnology is similar to older biotechnology. It involved the
selective manipulation of the genetic material of useful micro-organism as well as cells of

higher plants & animals.

The term biotechnology is short for “Biological Technology”. It describes both biochemical
engineering and biomedical engineering. It refers to the use of microbial, animal or plant cells
and enzymes to synthesize, degrade or transform material.

Modern biotechnology is basically medicine or cure. It has an impact on basic human need. It is

applied in areas like healthcare, agriculture forestry, food ingredient, industrial chemicals,
plastics, energy, mining, pollution control, bioelectronics.

Biotechnology is a combination of fields involving biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics

immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, fermentation, and agriculture. Biotechnology
professionals need to study the basics of biology, chemistry, or pharmaceutical science in their
career. Startups and multinational pharmaceutical companies develop new treatment options

on rare and complex diseases and genetic tests on inherited disease.

Trend in biotechnology:

1. Vaccine Development: Vaccines are made using several processes. They may contain inactivated

toxins (for bacterial disease where toxins are generated by the bacteria; live viruses that have
been altered/weakened to not cause illness). New ways to develop vaccines is to create more

effective preventative measures in the future. Understanding of vaccines as a whole in process.
A vaccine should give immunity without being pathogenic. It should produce an immune

response without ,causing a disease which is an important aspect of vaccine development.

2. Personalized treatment of rare disease: This uses information about a person's genetic makeup to
tailor strategies for the detection, treatment or prevention of disease. This may include genetic
screening tests to identify susceptibility to disease or more precisely pinpoint existing

conditions. For example, cancer is caused by genetic mutations, so sequencing can give doctors
important information about how the cancer might develop and behave with certain

treatments. Research into cancer genomes is at the forefront of modern efforts to study and
cure cancer. Once sequenced, the mutations in a patient's genome can be compared to those in a

large database built by researchers. This could yield insight into treatment; some cancer drugs
work better against specific mutations, and some treatments are ineffective for similar reasons.

If applicable, the chemotherapy doses, timing, and even the drugs involved can be adjusted for
best results.
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