The short answer:
Biotechnology
combines the studies of biology, chemistry, engineering and electronics,
for the sole purpose of improving everyday life.
Want to know more?
Biotechnology uses plants, animals and the basic
ingredients of life such as cells, DNA or enzymes, to create various
products from drugs to food which benefits the world around us.
Biotechnology plays a vital role in health research,
helps create disease-resistant plants, affects regulation of environmental
pollutants, is a defense weapon in the threat of bioterrorism, and
even influences your daily menu!
Another way to describe biotechnology is “applied
biology” or the application of biological knowledge and techniques,
using materials of living cells, to develop products or run
a process. Biotechnology combines the studies of biology, chemistry,
engineering and electronics.
For example, biological knowledge and technology
are applied with modern and computerized apparatus and processes
to:
- Develop antibodies that discourage organ
rejection by transplant patients
- Help crops to withstand adverse weather
conditions and thrive in poor growing conditions around the world
- Assist law enforcement through DNA identification
and matching
- Increase our food supply and make food safer
and healthier by reducing dependency on conventional chemical pesticides
- Create cleaner industrial processes that
produce less waste, improve energy efficiency and protect our environment
