Biotechnology
Simply put, biotechnology is a branch of technology that is based on biology. That much is clear from the fact that the words “biotechnology” and “technology” were combined to form one word. Is there a future for biotechnology?
Due to the numerous unknowns, many people have asked this question. Due to the increasing demand for new technologies across a variety of industries, from agriculture to the health sector, experts predict that biotechnology will be a survival tool in the future.
Perhaps biotechnology will play a big part in the future of the planet. But in order to draw a conclusion, you need evidence. Then and only then will you reach a decision.
We will talk about what biotechnology is, its benefits, and its drawbacks in this blog post. Let’s get going.
Advantages of Biotechnology
Biotechnology has a number of benefits, including the ability to increase food production, decrease environmental pollution, and save lives. Here are some of the more significant ones:
1. Highly Beneficial to Healthy Food Production
With the aid of biotechnology, our food’s nutritional value has increased. The speed and accuracy of scientists have increased due to food biotechnology, which can enhance the food production process.
It goes without saying that the initial nutrients in food are created by the crops grown on cropland. However, by using biotechnology to control pests and weeds and enhance soil nutrients, the agricultural sector can increase yield and the nutritional value of the crops produced.
Therefore, improving food availability and reducing health problems associated with nutrient deficiencies are two benefits of doing so. Additionally, over 35% less food is produced globally due to food loss and food spoilage rates brought on by diseases and pests.
For farmers, this spoilage results in a significant financial loss. But with the help of biotechnology, common crops can be grown with minimal tillage, resulting in less waste and more significant financial savings for farmers.
2. Offers Improvement in The Medical Sector.
The understanding of the genetic composition of the human species gained through biotechnology has had a significant positive impact on medicine.
Among other things, pharmacogenomics and genetic testing are two of the most important applications in medicine. Pharmaceutical and diagnostic products are created by medical biotechnology using biological systems for research and development in order to treat or prevent disease.
Understanding cancer, coming up with treatments for it, developing vaccines, artificial tissue growth, etc. are just a few medical advancements made possible by biotechnology. The average lifespan of people can be extended, and those who are ill can live longer thanks to advancements in medical technology.
3. Reduces The World’s Environmental Footprints
Environmental biotechnology is positioned to replace less environmentally friendly materials and chemical processes with more environmentally friendly and sustainable biological alternatives.
Our environment is contaminated in many ways, and fossil fuels, plastics, building materials, etc. are the main culprits.
These materials release a lot of carbon emissions and toxic chemicals that may have an impact on global warming. Fossil fuels, for instance, are the main contributor to air pollution, which has a significant negative impact on health and results in millions of deaths each year.
However, it is now possible to produce biofuels from crops, and several businesses are using biotechnology to transform agricultural waste into fuels, which is an even better option.
In addition, new developments in industrial biotechnology are being made to make manufacturing processes safer by lowering the pollution caused by toxic chemicals. Biotechnology in crops also significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practises.
Groundwater treatment and sanitising contaminated soil are two additional examples of how biotechnology is being used to reduce global footprints. Additionally, it enables us to produce waste materials with improved biodegradability.
4. Reduces the Rate of Infectious Diseases
Reliable sources claim that patients with incurable diseases have access to more than 250 biotech medical products.
All of the aforementioned information indicates that the advantages of biotechnology in the medical field should not be diminished. However, a discussion of the advantages of biotechnology would be incomplete without mentioning the development of vaccines to lower the prevalence of infectious diseases.
The creation of vaccines is made possible by biotechnology’s understanding of genetic engineering and cell culture. Biotechnology has made it possible for us to treat complex diseases and understand how infectious diseases spread and how to treat them.
These advancements have helped us save many lives and protect people whose genetic makeup makes them more susceptible to these diseases, giving them a chance to live longer.
5. Helps To Conserve And Preserve
The development of goods and technologies that would benefit our planet by utilising cellular and biomolecular processes is the main goal of biotechnology.
Biotechnology offers us a way to extend the shelf life and lifespan of our food while also helping to conserve natural resources. Recombinant antifreeze proteins created through biotechnology are an illustration of a food preservation technique.
Proteins called recombinant antifreeze proteins can alter how ice crystals grow and lower the freezing point of water. They increase the fruit and dairy products’ frozen shelf lives.
Disadvantages of Biotechnology
Biotechnology has many advantages, from lessening environmental pollution to being used in industrial and medical processes. However, if biotechnology is used improperly, it may result in a number of problems. Let’s examine some of these problems.
1. Destroy Cropland
The crop receives its natural source of nutrients from the soil, as was already mentioned. However, more nutrients can now be added to the crops’ natural ones thanks to biotechnology. The soil may eventually lose its fertility if it has been overloaded with nutrients from the crop, so this could be costly.
If this occurs, there will be a recovery period, which will lower the yield of food produced at that time and, in some cases, it might never recover, destroying the croplands permanently.
2. Turns Human Life Into a Commodity
The benefit of increasing human longevity is crucial for biotechnology. Yes, but there is discussion as to whether biotechnology has turned human life into a commodity that can be controlled by others.
For instance, payment may be necessary before using biotechnology to apply a certain process to treat a certain illness. Given the substantial expense and time invested in the research, it is highly debatable. However, because it doesn’t make biotechnology completely accessible, this is still clearly a drawback.
3. Has Many Unknowns
Because there are so many unanswered questions, biotechnology has many drawbacks. Even though biotechnology has developed recently, there are still many long-term effects that we are unaware of.
What would happen if living cells’ genes were changed in order to achieve a certain goal in the long run, for instance? Future generations may suffer, but we don’t yet know for sure.
4. Can Be Harnessed as a Weapon
Let’s say that biotechnology can change cells and the parts of cells to our advantage. What guarantees that it cannot be changed to harm people? The development of biological weapons through biotechnology opens the door to their use by terrorists.
In order to prevent situations where biotechnology is used to terrorise or exterminate humanity, the appropriate authorities should check the biotechnology process.
Few Examples of DNA Technology
1. DNA Cloning
The process of making an exact duplicate (or clone) of a DNA sequence is known as DNA cloning. Scientists at Harvard University created this method in 1976. They gave bacteria frog DNA, after which they watched it replicate over time.
2. Gel Electrophoresis
Moving an electric charge through molecules is the process of gel electrophoresis. By passing electricity through DNA in a gel, scientists can determine what kind of molecule they are looking at because different parts of the molecule move at different speeds.
The gel serves as a barrier to prevent the DNA from interacting with other substances, allowing for the separation of each kind of molecule. Using chemicals like silver nitrate to produce images on film after they have been separated has allowed scientists to learn more about both human and animal cells.
3. Polymerase Chain Reaction
A DNA sequence is replicated using the polymerase chain reaction. In order to detect pathogens in food or water or to create new organisms like glow-in-the-dark cats, scientists add DNA to bacteria and watch how it replicates over time.
Polymerase chain reactions are another tool that scientists can use in their cells. For instance, they can use Parkinson’s disease-affected individuals’ cells to clone Parkinson’s disease-free cells over time.
4. DNA Sequencing
Analysing a DNA sequence is part of the process of DNA sequencing. It can be used to identify the genes a person carries, which in turn enables medical professionals to predict whether or not they will experience the onset of specific genetic diseases during their lifetime.
DNA sequencing can also help us learn more about cells and organisms; for instance, researchers have found that mice with obesity-related gene mutations eat less when they’re hungry. They discovered this by examining their DNA to determine which genes were responsible for the variation.
Scientific Achievements of Biotechnology
Cloning:
Over the years, cloning has been used to create new organisms and glow-in-the-dark cats, among other things. For instance, when scientists cloned a banana plant, they discovered that it had twice as much vitamin A as the original plant did!
Polymerase Chain Reaction:
Conclusion
Biotechnology undoubtedly has a future, but is it beneficial or harmful to the environment? Biotechnology has benefits and drawbacks. Many people have embraced them with open arms due to the fact that they can treat diseases that seem to have no hope of recovery.
To avoid reducing the value of human life in the face of technology, it is crucial to maintain checks and balances for the biotechnology industries.
