Definition
Biotechnology is the use of biological processes, organisms, or systems to manufacture products intended to improve the quality of human life.
History
Biotechnology is not a new field.It was dated back in ancient times.In ancient times biotechnology is used in brewing industry,in making of cheese and yogurt and for the preservation of different things.
For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to improve production of crops and livestock to use them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops.
In the early twentieth century scientists gained a greater understanding of microbiology and explored ways of manufacturing specific products. In 1917,. Chaim Weizmann first used a pure microbiological culture in an industrial process, that of manufacturing corn starch using Clostridium acetobutylicum, to produce acetone, which the United Kingdom desperately needed to manufacture explosives during World War I.
Biotechnology has also led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928.
The field of modern biotechnology is thought to have largely begun on June 16, 1980.
Types
Biotechnology has mainly 4 fields or types that are
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Red Biotechnology
It is also known as medicinal biotechnology.
This includes genome, proteome, and metabolic studies, etc., to provide knowledge of the relationship between molecular biology and illnesses, increasing the possibility of finding new therapeutic solutions. Modern (bio)technologies have an impact in the validation phase of the solutions found, for example through the use of genetically modified animals. Nanotechnology applications can help develop more effective methods for product delivery.
This actually leads to:
– finding more effective solutions with respect to those based on traditional methods, as well as therapeutic solutions for illnesses and problems never solved before, including cures for rare illnesses;
– a reduction in the times required for medicine development, which are extremely long using traditional methods.
The main applications are:
- (bio)medicine: macromolecules; biosimilar products (meaning medicines containing the same biomolecules as medicines that are no longer covered by patents); molecules of medium-small dimensions;
- innovative therapeutic techniques: cell therapies, based also on stem cells; genetic therapies; therapies based on antisense and RNA interference; xenotransplants (production of genetically modified animals to supply organs for transplants);
- vaccines, both preventive and therapeutic;
- diagnostics, mainly using techniques based on proteins and nucleic acids (DNA/RNA).
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Green Biotechnology
It is known as agricultural biotechnology.Green biotechnology concerns the primary sector (agriculture and zootechnical sectors) and the activities associated with the food chain.
Applications of Green biotechnology are
- diagnostic control in the food chain. The objectives are: foodstuff safety (e.g. for the identification of pathogens such as salmonella) and food tractability (particularly important when using genetically modified organisms).
- the use of additives in feed, mainly enzymes, amino acids and vitamins. These additives are used to increase and improve animal growth, reduce nutrition costs and environmental impact, etc.
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White Biotechnology
It is also known as industrial biotechnology.
Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for industrial purposes, including manufacturing, alternative energy (or “bioenergy”), and biomaterials. It includes the practice of using cells or components of cells like enzymes to generate industrially useful products.
There is a wide variety of sectors of application:
- pharmaceutical sector
- cosmetic and cosmeceutical products
- agro-industrial sector and animal feed;
- textile and leather products sector;
- paper industry;
- mining sector, for mining minerals (copper, zinc, cobalt, etc.);
- chemical products (antibiotics, vitamins, biopolymers, enzymes, amino acids, etc.).
- In the detergents sector, biotechnologies are not actually used in the production process but rather in the composition of the finished product, adding enzymes to improve its characteristics.
- An important industrial application of biotechnologies is the production of biofuels.
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Blue Biotechnology
It is also known as marine biotechnology.
Blue biotechnology is a term that has been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology.It mainly concerned with oceans,river and marine life.
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