Biotechnology is an application-oriented subfield. It is part of microbiology and biochemistry. Biotechnology is mainly used in the context of technical processes and industrial production. An example of the field of application of biotechnology is the production of yogurt with lactic acid bacteria. There are various fields of application for biotechnology such as industry and agriculture.
Thousands of years ago food was preserved
Biotechnology goes back thousands of years and was first applied to the preservation of food. Knowledge from the fields of biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology as well as genetics and bioinformatics is applied. The developed processes are used for the production of alcoholic beverages, sour milk products as well as bread acidification. Modern biotechnology draws on findings from microbiology and genetics. This makes it possible, for example, to support active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, the chemical industry, diagnostics and the development of new plant varieties.
Different areas of application for biotechnology
There are many areas of application for biotechnology. The areas of application are divided into different fields of application. There is red biotechnology, green biotechnology, white biotechnology and blue biotechnology. Red biotechnology refers to the field of medicine. Green biotechnology is everything related to agriculture. White biotechnology refers to the field of industry. Blue biotechnology or yellow biotechnology refers to the subfield of marine life and insects.
The developed products are versatile
The areas of application and products of biotechnology are very diverse. Products that have emerged from biotechnology include antibody technologies. Antibodies are produced that are used in medical and biological research. Other products include bioelectronics. Biosensors, for example, are developed here. In bioinformatics, on the other hand, data is processed using biotechnological means. This enables, among other things, the development of new biotechnological methods such as genome sequencing. Other areas of application for products can be found in DNA technology. Special DNA chips enable screening and the diagnosis of hereditary diseases. In gene therapy, the products can help to treat a diagnosed genetic defect.
An expansion of the research areas of biotechnology
Biotechnology can be found in stem cell therapy. Stem cells are used for the therapy of various diseases. Similarly, proteins can be modified or reassembled in a targeted manner. Many of the applications are based on understanding how the organism functions. New methods and new approaches can expand the areas of research. More and more medical applications are becoming possible, such as stem cell therapy. Certain chemical compounds can be used as the basis for developments in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry. It is also interesting to develop plants for specific environmental conditions, such as those found in the desert in Africa. Biotechnology also makes it possible to replace previous processes with more environmentally friendly methods that have a future.
If you would like to delve deeper into the world of biotechnology and find out, for example, what a mologram is, click on this link.
Source:
Robert Kneschke – stock.adobe.com
Read more:
