There are numerous varieties of biotechnology, and it’s interesting to note that they are separated by colour.
For instance, industrial biotechnology is white and medical biotechnology is red.
Why do various biotechnologies have different colours?
Although there are numerous ways to categorise biotechnology, the most common one is to use a colour code. This is done to make it easier for us to remember how to divide up the various fields of biotechnology research.
In light of this, let’s delve deeper into the biotechnology’s colours. We’ll begin by discussing the history of biotechnology colours.
We’ve got you covered if you want to see a graphic breakdown of the various biotechnology types:
Biotechnology: A Flag Of Many Colors
Estrella Alabastro, Secretary of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, provided the following definition of biotechnology at the beginning of National Biotechnology Week on November 24, 2008 (source: Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology):
“There would be three colours in a flag for biotechnology if we could weave one. Red is used in the medical field, green is used in agriculture, and white is used in industry.
Biotechnology crosses many disciplines, including those in the fields of medicine, the marine sciences, the environment, and industry. Alabastro also mentioned during her speech that more hues would be added to the biotechnology palette, and this has indeed occurred.
Before examining the additional colours, let’s first examine the four primary colours of biotechnology.
What Kinds of Biotechnology Are There?
Medical biotechnology (red), industrial biotechnology (white), environmental biotechnology (green), and marine biotechnology (blue) are the four main subcategories of biotechnology.
To learn more about each one’s goals and activities, let’s take a closer look at each one.
MEDICAL “RED” BIOTECHNOLOGY
The main focus of medical biotechnology is on human health and medicine. Therefore, producing new pharmaceutical drugs, antibodies, vaccines, and other medical biotechnology products will be necessary.
Red biotechnology has a lot to offer the medical field and the pharmaceutical industry. It lessens the sensation of pain and suffering while also improving the quality of life for patients.
Red biotechnology can determine the most effective drug dosages for patients, paving the way for much more individualised treatments and medications for each individual based on their genetic makeup. This will alter the course of medical practise and guarantee that patients will receive more individualised, personalised care from their doctors.
Red biotechnology uses biological components to address health-related issues. Research on gene expression, antibodies, and proteins is frequently conducted in an effort to develop genetically altered cells or organisms that can help treat a variety of diseases.
Examples include the modification of proteins to promote the production of enzymes in hamster cells, which can then be used to treat human heart disease.
According to Wise Geek, red biotechnology is a broad field of study that employs biological processes, treatments in both conventional and cutting-edge forms (like genetic engineering), and diagnostic techniques to find disease.
This strategy has led to biotechnologists working to find treatments for a number of human diseases, including AIDS and hepatitis.
INDUSTRIAL “WHITE” BIOTECHNOLOGY
Numerous industries, including the textile, food, and energy sectors, are impacted by industrial biotechnology.
In fact, it is the largest subfield of biotechnology. Its main goal is to use technology to develop new processes that consume less energy and natural resources than traditional ones.
Therefore, industrial biotechnology uses living cells derived from sources like plants, bacteria, and yeast to produce goods that require fewer resources (like energy) to make. They generate less waste as well.
Industrial biotechnology has already made some useful advancements. As EMBO Reports explains, one example is the use of bacterial enzymes in the production of food and washing powder to reduce the use of artificial ingredients.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND AGRICULTURAL “GREEN” BIOTECHNOLOGY
Both of these biotechnology subfields fall under the “green” colour category.
In general, green biotechnology focuses on agricultural technologies, such as ways to produce stronger crops or developing new biopesticides to reduce the amount of chemicals used by farmers.
Agricultural biotechnologists will also work on the following initiatives:
Using bacteria to encourage plant growth and improve crop yields.
Using plants to remove heavy metals from the environment that can be toxic to it as well as to human health.
Using genetic manipulation to help plants thrive in spite of damaging weather conditions, such as frost.
Using technology in animal breeding, such as the use of artificial insemination, which is said to be the most widely applied animal biotechnology.
The main objective of environmental biotechnology is the fusion of biology and engineering. As a result, various processes to clean contaminated sites may be developed.
Environmental pollution is frequently removed organically using fungi, bacteria, and other microbes. Environmental biotechnologists will be tasked with a variety of tasks, such as the following:
Converting plants into biofuels.
Inventing plant-based bioplastics that are kinder to the environment and can reduce waste.
Engineering microbes or plants that can process and eliminate toxins and contaminants in the environment.
Using geographic information systems to find and map contaminated sites as well as how the pollutants spread.
Transforming waste into biogas or other natural sources of energy.
Finding ways to make industrial processes cleaner, such as by using biological enzymes instead of chemical substances.
MARINE “BLUE” BIOTECHNOLOGY
The fourth major category of biotechnology is occasionally thought to be blue biotechnology. It is the study of marine organisms with an emphasis on utilising these organisms for various human goals, such as developing new medications or food supplements to improve human health.
Blue biotechnology uses a wide range of marine resources and organisms, including shellfish, algae, and other substances, for a variety of purposes. For instance, ziconotide, a compound made from cone snail venom, is reputed to be a potent analgesic for people.
The development of alternative energy sources using marine biotechnology is an intriguing concept. Microalgae can be used to create biofuel, for instance. The advantage is that algal biomass can be produced artificially without interfering with the growth of other plants.
The “blue” biotech industry reaps significant rewards. The marine ecosystem produces a lot of different proteins, biopolymers, biomaterials, and enzymes.
Examples include biotechnology items like green fluorescent protein, which is derived from jellyfish and is used to produce energy because of how it responds to UV light.
YELLOW BIOTECHNOLOGY
This one refers to biotechnology that uses insects, but it is very similar to the green biotechnology we discussed earlier. Insects’ functional genes or traits are used in research, as well as in various medical and agricultural procedures.
A variety of processes can be improved and made more sustainable with the aid of the gene functions discovered in insects. Due to their wide molecular variety, insects are useful when it comes to using them in biological processes.
Nevertheless, some insects can compete with us for human food by destroying our crops or other methods, making them pests. Yellow biotechnology, then, is the application of technology to the more sustainable and organic control of pests.
To further complicate matters, the term “yellow biotechnology” has also been used to describe the use of biotechnology to produce food, such as cheese and wine through fermentation.
This definition states that it is also concerned with sustainability, an issue that largely affects the meat industry because it consumes a lot of resources from the environment.
Yellow biotechnology is thus focused on enhancing methods of food production, such as by doing away with the use of antibiotics and hormones during the production of meat.
When it comes to food production, the use of genetically modified crops to promote healthier, more fruitful harvests also falls under the category of yellow biotechnology.
GREY BIOTECHNOLOGY
This and green biotechnology are quite similar. It focuses on using living things to make our environment better.
Therefore, it may involve using microorganisms to remove pollutants from the environment. The following are additional duties and procedures that may be included in “grey biotechnology”:
Protecting the flora and fauna from pollution.
Human waste disposal and management with the use of microorganisms.
Controlling pollution with the use of microorganisms.
Finding ways to cut down on and eventually stop using plastic is an exciting application of grey biotechnology. As you are aware, plastic generates a lot of waste and contains chemicals that harm the environment as well as pose a threat to human health.
Ideonella sakaiensis, a bacteria that breaks down the plastic used to make single-use plastic bottles, was discovered by Japanese researchers in a bottle recycling facility in 2016, according to Prescouter.
Since then, more research has been done on the issue of plastic pollution, and it’s exciting to think that it might be possible to solve it by utilising naturally occurring microorganisms!
BROWN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Grey biotechnology and brown biotechnology are related. It is also known as “Desert biotechnology.” Its primary goal is to improve the productivity of soils that resemble deserts.
It uses species that are resilient to these arid soils and draws from them to accomplish this. It makes use of GM technology to produce higher-quality seeds that can grow crops in arid regions with little rainfall.
Due to the way they have been genetically modified, some crops already have resistance to desert conditions.
DroughtGard is one illustration. It uses Bacillus subtilis protein, which ensures the corn plant will be able to thrive during water shortages, and was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to the Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, desertification negatively affects 70% of the planet’s dry land and one billion people worldwide, making it a crucial area of biotechnology.
Research has shown that poor soil management and the clearing of forests are major causes of desertification, but that growing crops in these areas can mitigate the issue. One such study was published in Business Korea.
In order to both address the issue of desertification and feed the hungry, research is being done on the development of genetically modified crops like sweet potatoes and lucerne.
GOLD BIOTECHNOLOGY
Given that it largely takes place behind the scenes, gold biotechnology differs significantly from the other types of biotechnology we’ve already discussed.
The focus of gold biotechnology is on the hardware and software used in informatics for the data analysis of biological processes. It’s also known as “bioinformatics.”
It employs computational methods to facilitate the quick collection, organisation, and analysis of biological data. But it can also look for modifications to DNA and primers.
Bioinformaticians are employed by large corporations, including pharmaceutical firms, to maintain their complex bioinformatic requirements. These experts’ advice is priceless—almost as valuable as gold!
Just consider it: how could you ever advance and expand on it if you couldn’t manage and store all the crucial information you had gathered?
Gold biotechnology has enabled computer networks that make biological data accessible with ease and created software that allows researchers to easily analyse their findings.
VIOLET BIOTECHNOLOGY
The focus of violet biotechnology is quite distinctive in that it is on the investigation of legal issues that relate to biotechnology. It also covers philosophical and ethical topics. The moral implications of some technologies, such as gene therapy and biosecurity, will be examined by violet biotechnology.
When the U.S. Supreme Court decided that genetically altered microorganisms could be patented in 1980, violet biotechnology was born, according to Chemik.
We can say that violet biotechnology contributes to the better maintenance of all the discoveries made and researched by other types of biotechnology in order to better understand it.
Protecting intellectual property rights, analysing and publishing research, and preserving patent rights for inventions are some of the duties associated with violet biotechnology.
Violet biotechnology encounters some challenges, such as how specific forms of biotechnology should be handled and regulated. The use of GMOs and gene therapy are two examples that raise numerous ethical questions and concerns.
DARK BIOTECHNOLOGY
This is referred to as the biotechnology family’s “black sheep.” Every scientific tool has a shadow side that allows for nefarious uses by individuals. An illustration of this is dark biotechnology. It alludes to bioterrorism and biowarfare as crimes.
It focuses on researching resistant and pathogenic microorganisms in order to turn them into biological weapons. Dark biotechnology, as the name suggests, is good science that has gotten into the wrong hands and is being applied to harm rather than heal.
By taking into account a 2002 experiment, we can discover more about dark biotechnology. According to The Conversation, an experiment by Dr. Eckward Wimmer and his team at the State University of New York demonstrated that a virus could be created from basic chemicals by synthesising polio from its base pairs.
The downside of this was that any virus could be created in this manner, and those with malicious intent who knew how to do so could spread the virus throughout the world.
This is a good (and terrifying) illustration of the pernicious side of biotechnology, demonstrating that there is always a chance that bad people will misuse scientific advancement.
Related Questions
WHO CREATED THE BIOTECHNOLOGY COLORS?
Pawel Kafarski, a Polish chemist, is credited with creating a color-code system to distinguish the various types of biotechnology. Over 270 scientific papers have been co-authored by him.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT BIOTECHNOLOGY?
As we’ve seen in this article, biotechnology has a lot of advantages for us, including enhancing the nutritional value of our food, safeguarding the planet’s resources, and using biological processes to develop new drugs and cures for diseases.
Conclusion
Biotechnology is a rainbow of colours, not just one thing! The different branches of biotechnology that are currently in use have been examined in this article, along with how they are divided into different colour categories.
For instance, medical biotechnology is red like blood, while agricultural biotechnology is green like the earth.
We have learned how interconnected biotechnology’s various subfields are and how they rely on one another to address global issues by studying them all in greater detail.
