Biotechnology is a branch of science that uses biological systems, living organisms, their cells or cellular components to develop new products and technologies for the welfare of mankind and society.
It is a multidisciplinary field that involves biology, engineering, medicine and plant sciences.
The term biotechnology was first used by a Hungarian agricultural engineer Karl Ereky, in 1919 in his book Biotechnologie. According to Karl “Biotechnology is the production of products from raw materials with the help of living organisms”.
History of Biotechnology
Biotechnology has a broad spectrum in the history of humans. Humans have used biotechnology since the beginning of civilization. They have been using fermentation processes for making food and beverages such as bread, beer, ghee, curd, vine and vinegar etc.
In the 19th century, Gregor Mendel gave the concepts of genetics and inheritance.
In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered an antibiotic penicillin on a large scale from cultures of Penicillium notatum.
In the 20th century, biotechnology was successful in the discovery of DNA in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick and the development of genetic engineering. Later on, Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer developed recombinant DNA technology.
In the 1960, vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella were developed.
In 1969, an in vitro or outside-the-body synthesis of enzymes was conducted.
In 1973, first genetically modified bacterium Escherichia coli was used to produce human insulin for the treatment of diabetes.
In 1983, the first genetically modified plant was introduced.
In the 1980s, the first biotech drugs were developed for the treatment of cancer.
In 1982, the FDA approved the first genetically modified product, a biotech developed from insulin.
In 1993, with the introduction of GMOs, the growth hormone was used to produce more milk in cows.
In 1997, Dolly was created using a somatic cell nuclear transfer technique.
In 2003, the human genome project was completed
In 2010, the first synthetic cell was produced.
In 2013, the first visual prosthesis was created.
In 2020, a vaccine against the COVID-19 virus was invented.
With all the discoveries and technologies, biotechnology is still being used in many fields like agriculture, engineering, industry and medicine.
Types of Biotechnology
- Red Biotechnology: Also known as biopharmaceuticals, is related to the production of medicines, vaccines, antibodies, drugs, antibiotics stem cells, etc. by using modern biological processes for the betterment of the quality of life.
Red biotechnology has great significance in gene therapy, genetic engineering, DNA profiling, molecular diagnostics, stem cell research, treatment of damaged tissues and organs or regenerating entire organs.
- Blue biotechnology: Blue biotechnology is concerned with the utilization of marine life such as fishes, sponges, shellfish, algae, fungi and seaweeds to produce different pharmaceutical products, food, energy, aquaculture, enzymes and biomolecules, etc.
- Green biotechnology: Green biotechnology is commonly known as plant biotechnology. It is the use of plants and other photosynthetic organisms like algae, fungi and bacteria to develop better crops with high quality and nutrition and to produce insecticides and pesticides for crop protection and more food quantity. Green biotechnology uses agricultural techniques like tissue cultivation, hybridization, and marker-assisted selection of plants. Green biotechnology is also helpful in pharmaceutical products and different industrial products like papers, biofuels, textiles, detergents, etc.
- White biotechnology: It is the production and processing of biocatalysts( enzymes and microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, yeast) at the industrial level to make valuable food products such as bread, beer, vinegar, etc. and petroleum-based chemicals. This field of biotechnology also involves the production of cosmetic products, biofuels, starch and biodegradable plastics (PVC).
- Gold biotechnology: Also known as bioinformatics which provides a database of different proteins and molecular sequences to use it for the treatment of patients for enhancement of agricultural productivity.
- Orange biotechnology: This type is about teaching, guiding and attracting scientists to work in the field.
- Purple biotechnology: Purple biotechnology is related to the legal features of data safety and legal protection.
- Yellow biotechnology: Yellow biotechnology is associated with the use of insects for the betterment of food and nutrition. It mainly helps in the production is wine, cheese and beer through fermentation.
- Brown biotechnology: Brown biotechnology is also called desert biotechnology. It focuses on the improvement of deserts and soils. Brown biotechnology aids in the protection of soil quality to get safety from water logging, salinity and the effects of high temperatures and to enhance adaptability and productivity.
- Grey biotechnology: Gray biotechnology gives protection of natural ecosystems that have been changed by pollutants and human activities.
- Black biotechnology: This field is associated with bioterrorism and biological wars by using microorganisms like bacteria and viruses which can act as biological weapons or can negatively affect humans, animals, plants and environment.
Applications of Biotechnology
Biotechnology has applications in four major fields such as environment, industry, medicine and agriculture.
Environment; Biotechnological approaches have great significance in decreasing environmental pollution, waste management, and development of biodegradable products.
1. Phytoremediation is the degradation of toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and the removal of environmental pollutants by the use of genetically engineered plants like Indian mustard sunflower and microorganisms like bacteria, algae and fungi. Bioremediation uses plants and microorganisms in polluted sites like soil, groundwater, and other environments for purification.
2. Genetic Reclamation has aided in the safety of the genetic diversity of different species to make them adaptable in harsh environments and for future survival. It also has importance in the development of antibiotics, antibodies, vaccines, more crops yield, better food quality, waste management and cleanliness of environment.
3. Biosensors are also one of the great biotechnological approaches that can detect infectious microorganisms and pollutants. They also assist in drug manufacturing, gene therapy, food quality monitoring, crime detection and medical diagnosis.
Agriculture; In the field of agriculture, biotechnology has solved the problems of low food nutrition and quantity, bad food quality, greenhouse gas emissions, crop destruction, pest attacks and soil erosion.
1. Genetically modified crops can resist in harsh environmental conditions( drought, salt, temperature), diseases, insects and pests. Moreover, Cover crops can be good for soil health, soil erosion and weed control. Some examples of genetically modified plants are potatoes, soybeans, sugar beets, squash, alfalfa, cotton, apples and golden rice, etc.
2. Better Crops Quality: Through traditional breeding, it is now possible to have crops with desirable traits such as flavor, color and growth rate. The formation of hybrid varieties like Honey crisp apple has made it possible to get better food quantity, quality and nutrition.
3. RNA interface: RNA interface has aided in protecting against pests and diseases, has produced seedless fruits and has increased crop yield.
Health and Medicine: Biotechnology is very important in the field of health and medicine. It has reduced the risks of disease causing agents and has helped in the production of many medical products like vaccines, antibodies, antibiotics and personalized drugs. Different applications of biotechnology in the field of health and medicine are as follows;
1. Gene therapy is the substitution of faulty genes with normal genes for the treatment of genetic disorders. A wide range of diseases, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, sickle cell anemia retinal dystrophy, etc. are treated with the help of gene therapy.
2. Genetic engineering is the alteration of the genetic makeup of organisms in laboratories. Genetic engineering is applicable in gene mapping, vaccine production, monoclonal antibody production and DNA fingerprinting.
3. Antibiotics, antibodies and vaccines: Biotechnology has played a very important role in the development of antibiotics, antibodies and vaccines. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals.
- Antibodies help to treat infections and autoimmune disorders and are used in the testing of diseases.
- Vaccines mostly work against viruses. They stimulate body’s natural immune system to fight against viral diseases.
Molecular Testing: Molecular testing is a group of tests used for detection, therapy and protection against diseases. The most common molecular testing techniques are PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and Monoclonal antibody production.
- PCR is a laboratory technique used for gene sequencing. Millions of copies of particular DNA segments are created through this technique. This technique is mainly used for DNA cloning, diagnosis of diseases, mutations, genetic disorders and DNA fingerprinting.
- ELISA is used for cancer research, allergy diagnosis, disease diagnosis like AIDS/HIV, hepatitis B and C, allergy diagnosis and for checking the amounts of protein in a particular sample( for production of medical products).
- Monoclonal antibodies are used for observation of antibodies in blood. These are also used for cancer research and treatment.
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4. Production of human insulin: With the help of recombinant DNA technology, scientists made human insulin in 1978 by using the human insulin gene and inserting it into Escherichia coli bacteria which then produces multiple copies of insulin which is then extracted and used for treatment of diabetes.
5. Production of hormones: Except insulin, some other hormones synthesized using recombinant DNA are growth hormone(GH), Luteinizing hormone(LH), follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH), testosterone stimulating hormone(TSH), parathyroid hormone(PTH) and erythropoietin.
Industry: In the field of industry, biotechnology has a wide range of applications. Fermentation processes for making food products and, the production of biofuels and biodegradable products are the main approaches of biotechnology.
1. Fermentation: The fermentation process helps in the production of many useful products through chemical reactions carried out by microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts. Different food products like wine, bread, vinegar, fermented milk and meat, yogurt, kefir, miso, kombucha, sourdough bread, fermented fruits and vegetables are obtained with the help of fermentation.
2. Biofuels: Biofuels are obtained from biomass like plants, starch, molasses and municipal waste. The most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. These are environmentally safe, biodegradable and can be replaced with fossil fuels.
3. Biodegradable products: Bioplastics, wood batteries and biodegradable detergents are some products obtained through biotechnology that can be easily decayed by microorganisms and lessen the risk of environmental pollution.
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