Biotechnology is not a new advancement in science. It has actually been used for years, but was not significantly described as biotechnology. In its simplest form, biotechnology involves the use of living organisms or their products to modify or change human health or the environment. Biotechnology is a combination of biology and other sciences to create new, innovative products in the agricultural, industrial and environmental industries. Products include medicines, vaccines, growth hormones for plants and food additives.
There are nine major areas of this technology and its applications in the field of biotechnology. These nine major areas are bioprocessing technology, monoclonal antibody, cell culture, recombinant DNA technology, cloning, protein engineering, biosensors, nanobiotechnology and microarrays.
Bioprocessing technology refers to the use of living cells to produce favorite products. This method has been used for thousands of years for its real scientific effects, such as making beer, making wine, and even making bread and pickles! Microorganisms were first discovered in the mid-1800s, and people realized that their biochemical machinery was the substance for these useful products. In-depth research and further experiments have led us today to produce amino acids, birth control pills, pesticides, antibiotics and even vitamins, to name a few.
Monoclonal antibody technology uses cells to make antibodies from the immune system. Monoclonal antibodies are extremely useful in detecting any contaminants in the environment, detecting harmful microorganisms in food, differentiating between normal cells and cancer cells, and more accurately diagnosing any infectious diseases that may occur in humans and animals or plants.
Cell culture is the growth of cells outside of living organisms. There are 3 areas in this study, including plant cell culture, insect cell culture and mammalian cell culture. Recombinant DNA technology, in the simplest sense of the word, means to recombine 2 pieces of DNA from 2 different species. It is used to produce new drugs and vaccines, to slow down food spoilage, to control viral diseases and to prevent inflammation, to name a few.
Cloning had become well-known years after Dolly's sheep was cloned. Cloning technology allows for the production of genetically identical molecules, plants, cells, or animals. Protein engineering is a DNA recombination technique designed to modify existing proteins to create new proteins that do not exist in nature. These proteins can be used in food processing, pharmaceutical development and industrial manufacturing.
Biosensors are a combination of advances in biology and microelectronics. Biosensors detect devices that rely on the specificity of cells and molecules to detect and measure substances at very low concentrations, so they are highly used to detect nutritional value, safety and freshness of food, explosives, toxins and bio-warfare. Detect and measure agents, contaminants, and also provide emergency room physicians with bedside measurements of vital blood components.
Nano-biotechnology refers to the study, manipulation and construction of ultra-small structures and machines that can contain only a single molecule. This area of study enables us to improve the specificity and timing of drug distribution, increase the speed and power of disease diagnosis, and encourage the development of green production practices.
Microarray is the study of gene structure and functions that enables us to simultaneously analyze thousands of samples. This area allows us to monitor gene activity, identify genes critical to crop productivity, and detect mutations in disease-related genes.
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