Merging all these fields together, biotechnology is certainly the atomic bomb of this century. The incredible options it in giving us to advance in our research and giving immediate results that are applicable in our daily lives makes it revolutionary. The same basic techniques can be used in agriculture as well as in cattle raising, for example, which makes its applications simple. It certainly raises a lot of ethical issues creating endless debates between scientists regarding how far can this go and how far can we follow through with it, but whether you are one that supports this field or not its results and impact on the world cannot be denied. This is our future, this is our present, this is the revolution of Biotechnology..

DNA Fingerprint

Using the thumb fingerprint to recognize an individual in any forensic case has become old fashion with the technological advances nowadays. The revolution that has been made was when scientists were capable of turning the DNA into a fingerprint unique for each individual. This was possible after developing techniques that are capable of comparing DNA from different individuals and being able to recognize each as being unique to its holder and being able to match it. This is possible using blotting, where chunks of DNA run through a gel and can we can compare DNA from different individual relying on these brands that the chunks would make. This technique is being used in forensics to match the DNA found on a murder or rape scene to the suspect and it is approved by the court as being an actual evidence.

Betsch, D. (1994). Retrieved on July 9 from http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BA/DNA_Fingerprinting_Basics.php.

Gene therapy

Gene therapy is a technique used to target specific genes that cause certain genetic diseases, these genes are often mutated causing conditions such as cystic fibrosis or hemophilia for example. This genes, with the help of the new tools biotechnology can provide us, can be targeted to be either just screened so a treatment can be started or directly treated.
The latter can be done using several methods, the most emphasized one is knocking out the mutated gene and replacing it with a non-mutated copy of the same gene. This is done by using several methods of DNA delivery by electric shock, using a viral host to be incorporated into the cell. No matter what the method used is, this new field of gene therapy is very promising since the number of diseases that are caused by recognized mutations is infinite, this can provide a hope for curing them, the costs of such therapy are still very high.

(2007) Retrieved on July 9 from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Gene_therapy

Our new cows...

Transgenic animals are genetically modified animal, the purpose of that might differ. Here is a direct application of biotechnology in this specific example.
Producing transgenic cows to produce insulin in their milk is the one of the most talked about inventions in the field of biotechnology be it for its beneficial features or for its controversy. Using genetic engineering, the gene for Human insulin is introduced into the transplanted egg's DNA and once it starts producing milk after being born and growing up, the cow can now produce Human insulin in its milk. Although insulin is being produced in tanks using bacteria this technique (also used for protein and enzyme production) can have a lower cost and is far more interesting as to it efficiency; if you're a diabetic, all you'll have to do is drink some more milk!

Popper, H. (2007). Reuters. Retrieved on July 9 from http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/argentine_cow_clones_produce_insulin_milk.

Animal biotechnology

The same technique applied to crops is applied to livestock, which is may the best breed! In other words, just like our ancestors used to do it (and in all under-developed countries), farmers select the best individuals of the livestock and make sure they breed together to increases the chance of getting a livestock with the desired traits that were selected. Nowadays, the same thing is being done but on a molecular level. The DNA of a chosen male is retrieved and inoculated into the egg of a chosen female and then injected into a third "host" animal. This technique that is part of the genetic engineering is a type of cloning and it ensures getting the desired traits in the animal whether it is size or any other trait. This raises even a greater debate because animals' rights is put into question. Do we have the right to manipulate the lives and the future of certain "families"? Is genetic engineering the new Natural Selection method? These questions are not here to be answered, but to be debated, but the benefits that this can provide us is considerable.

IFIC. (2006). Retrieved on July 9 from http://www.ific.org/food/biotechnology/index.cfm.

Biotechnology in food production

Biotechnology has invaded all fields, including the food production. It is applied in the latter in a way that it helps produce a strain in plants that has a specific desired trait(s). It can be the size of the plant, its resistance to pesticides and bacteria or the abundance of nutrients in it, you name it it can be done! This can help increase the crop yield as well as be beneficial for us as some nutrition additives can be incorporated into the produced plants. The option, again, are infinite. However this technique has been applied for centuries, it includes using a certain strain over the other and replanting it because it has randomly acquired a mutation that gives it a desired trait. This can be done now in more sophisticated manner and the mutations can be chosen, no need to wait for them to happen naturally.
A debate has been going on about the agricultural biotechnology which includes, what is its effect on us humans on the long run? How ethical is it? People and scientists take sides on that and it is not possible to find an answer to either question at this point in time.

IFIC. (2006). Retrieved on July 9 from http://www.ific.org/food/biotechnology/index.cfm.

The infamous..Cancer

How can biotechnology help us in the on going constant research for cancer therapy? The answer lies in what can biotechnology tools provide us with that we did not have before and it is the genetically engineered microorganisms that are capable of attacking defective molecules. It has as well advanced the research in providing new techniques such as gene silencing and knock-down. The latter are not only beneficial in the cancer research but in all the molecular biology research since it helps silencing and removing genes so their function can be studied.
This is only the beginning of a new era, the options are numerous and the horizon is the limit because of the infinite options biotechnology and genetic engineering can provide our research.

May, M. (2004). Retrieved on July 9 from http://www.sciencemag.org/products/ddbt_31904.dtl

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is any process that uses microorganisms and/or enzymes to clean-up a certain contaminated area or ecosystem trying to regenerate its original state. This includes cleaning up pesticides, oil spills etc.. However, the limitation in this technique is that there are certain pollutants that it cannot remediate such as heavy metals.
However the good thing about this is that it makes cleaning areas that were out of reach possible, for example underground water contamination was out of reach, but with bioremediation bacterias can be introduced into the ground water and they can do their job!

Transgalactic Ltd. (2005). Retrived on July 9 from http://www.bionewsonline.com/w/what_is_bioremediation.htm

Insuline production

Human insulin was the first drug to get a license to be produced through genetic engineering in the 70s. Insulin is a very important hormone in our bodies, it regulates the glucose level in our system, a deficiency in it or in the mechanisms that it is involved in may cause very serious diseases (e.g. Diabetes) and causes the patients to have to take insulin shots.
This has been the trigger for many researches concerning finding ways to produce insulin on a big, market scale and this lead to the production of insulin using genetically engineered bacteria placed in large tanks.
This has turned out to be quite productive and successful, opening more doors for this field to advance through and giving hope for reducing medication costs due to the increase of the production scale.

Mendelsohn, J. (2004). Retrieved July 5 from http://www.linde-kca.com/international/web/le/kca/likelekcacom.nsf/repositorybyalias/pdf_lindetechnology_1_04_biotechnology_eng/$file/LindeTechnology_1-04_Biotechnology_eng.pdf

Why is Biotechnology so important?

Biotechnology can :

• provide us with the tools to diagnosis, prevent and/or cure a wide range of infectious and genetic diseases
• increase crop yield by creating plants that are resistant to many conditions and diseases
• develop microorganisms that will produce food additives
• develop a livestock that are enhanced genetically
• help clean up the environment by removing pollutants and waste materials