Legal Definitions - biotechnology

Biotechnology refers to a field of science and technology that harnesses living organisms, or components derived from them, to develop new products, improve existing ones, or solve problems. It applies biological processes and systems to create useful materials and technologies, with wide-ranging applications in areas such as medicine, industry, and agriculture.

Here are some examples illustrating biotechnology:

• Medical Application: Consider the development of vaccines for diseases like influenza or COVID-19. Many modern vaccines are produced using biotechnological methods, where specific viral proteins or genetic material are engineered into yeast, bacteria, or cell cultures. These modified organisms then produce the necessary components in large quantities, which are then purified and used to stimulate an immune response in humans, protecting them from the disease. This demonstrates biotechnology by using biological systems (cells, bacteria) to produce a useful medical material (vaccine components).

• Environmental Application: Imagine a scenario where industrial wastewater contains harmful pollutants. Biotechnology can be employed through a process called bioremediation, where specialized microorganisms are introduced or cultivated in the wastewater. These microbes are naturally capable of breaking down or detoxifying the pollutants into less harmful substances, effectively cleaning the water before it's released. This illustrates biotechnology's use of biological processes (microbial metabolism) to solve an environmental problem and produce a cleaner outcome.

• Agricultural Application: Think about crops engineered to be resistant to certain herbicides. Farmers can plant these genetically modified crops and then apply a specific herbicide that kills weeds but does not harm the crop itself. This is achieved by introducing a gene into the crop plant that provides resistance to the herbicide. This application of biotechnology uses biological processes (gene transfer and expression in plants) to create a useful agricultural product (herbicide-resistant crops) that improves farming efficiency and yield.