Biotechnology Blog

Biotechnology is the integration of engineering and technology to the life sciences.

Biotechnologists frequently use microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific processes or for manufacturing. Examples include the production of drugs, hormones, foods and converting waste products.

There are many sub-branches involved in the biotech industry. A few of the more common branches include; molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell biology.

A new and exciting sub-branch requiring biotechnologists is the field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology gives us the capability to engineer the tiniest of objects, things at the molecular level. Nano means a billionth of a specific unit in Greek. Nanotechnology includes the study and manipulation of materials between 1 and 100 nanometers.

To give you an idea, DNA is approximately 2.5 nanometers. Red blood cells are 2.5 micrometers (1,000 times larger). And a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick!

As you can imagine, it is very difficult to scale and mass produce objects within the realm of nanotechnology. Their minute size makes them nearly impossible to manipulate. But scientists and engineers have teamed up to make the seemingly impossible a reality.

Which means those with the proper training will be highly sought after in the future. The National Science Foundation estimates that the U.S. alone will need up to 1 million nanotechnology researchers. It is estimated that the need for nanotechnology workers will reach 2 million by 2015.

Therefore, if you’re considering getting into the field of biotech, you may want to gear your background in nanotechnology if your school offers it or seek employment in this exciting new career field after graduating.

No matter what sub-branch you wind up specializing in, biotechnologists often collaborate with others in the laboratory and bounce ideas off one another. This can create a pleasant work environment; one that involves sharing with others and working together to achieve a great goal.

To learn more about a career in the biotech industry, please visit Biotech Career News

[tags]biotech, biotechnology, career in biotech[/tags]

A common mortal from a developed country would be hard to convince that in Southeast Asia and Africa, diarrhea is responsible for as much as 8.5% and 7.7%, respectively. Yet this is the stark reality. Diarrhea is mostly caused by gastrointestinal infections. About 2.2 million people globally die of gastrointestinal-induced diarrhea. The bulk of these are children from developing countries. These are countries that lack clean drinking water- the major cause of gastrointestinal infections.

What is the role of science in ameliorating this grave situation? Many would rightly argue that provision of clean drinking water is the surest way of eradicating diarrhea. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people lack access to improved water sources with another 2.4 billion out of reach of basic sanitation.

The world may exude optimism about providing clean drinking water to the poorest of the poor. But this remains a milieu. In the meantime, diarrhea will continue to claim the lives of millions of children, mainly from poor countries.

How can science prevent these unnecessary deaths? Can it be through provision of drugs? Oh no! They are unaffordable to the poor. The poor live on less than a dollar a day.

Modern biotechnology could offer a solution. Biotechnologists have discovered a rice variety, which would produce proteins found in human milk, saliva and tears. When these proteins are converted into powder form, they can be used in granola bars and drinks to help infants in developing countries avoid death from diarrhea. This is the best way to curb runaway diarrhea in developing world such as Africa. These drinks or granola bars would be considerably cheap compared to drugs.

African farmers can also be encouraged to grow this variety of rice. First, it will boost their household income and effectively improve their living standards. It will also make the accompanying protein-rich drinks and granola bars cheaper making them accessible and affordable to all.

The biotech industry has a role to play in hastening technology diffusion. With regard to this new rice variety, for instance, they should consider domesticating its production in Africa for this is where the action is!

Rice is an important crop in most African countries. In West Africa, for instance, rice is considered a staple food. It contributes more calories and protein than any other cereal in humid West Africa. Despite the integral place that rice occupies in the diet of African consumers, its production remains pathetically poor.

Compared to other crops such as corn or soybean, improvement of rice varieties has been regrettably slow. Only one genetically transformed rice trait - tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate -is currently available in the market. It has not reached Africa yet.

“Golden rice” genetically transformed to produce pro-vitamin A is still under discussion. It is touted as a cure for Vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. It is, however, yet to be commercialized.

James Wachai is a communication specialist who uses his expertise to increase public understanding of science and technology, specifically biotechnology. Read more from James at http://www.gmoafrica.org

[tags]biotechnology, genetically modified food, crop biotechnology, modern biotechnology, Gmos[/tags]

The biotechnology market is an ever-expanding, demanding, controversial and lucrative market. As long as the need for something better and the hunger for knowledge exist, biotechnology will be the crux for much crucial development and enhancement.

The biotechnology market covers a large area, and has vast and crucial branches among them. Some of these areas are agriculture GMO, antibody technologies, antisense technology, biomaterials, biopharmaceuticals, drug discovery, emerging technology, environmental/industrial biotechnology, enzymes, gene therapy, general biotechnology, genetic engineering, genomics, informatics, instrumentation and equipment, molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, proteomics, regulation and bioethics, research and development, tissue engineering and wound care.

There are more than 90 biotechnology products in existence in the world today, including drugs and vaccines which have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Apart from these, the research and development is still going strong, with over 350 biotechnology drug products and vaccines still in human clinical trials. They give hope to the sufferers of many incurable and unstoppable diseases ravaging the population, such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other grave conditions.

We can see major improvements in the advancement of medicine; however, we should also keep in mind the notable advancements in the field of agriculture, the use of biopesticides to reduce the hazardous effects of pesticides to the environment and to the crops, and the many ways biotechnology has helped the fields of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, energy and environmental management.

Biotechnology is also a lucrative market, as the biotech companies and the biotech industry generate revenue in the region of $50 billion a year.

Biotechnology provides detailed information on Biotechnology, Biotechnology Market, Biotechnology Careers, Biotechnology Schools and more. Biotechnology is affiliated with Forensic Science Colleges.

[tags]Biotechnology, Biotechnology Market, Biotechnology Careers, Biotechnology Schools[/tags]