The Biotech Century

Posted by Uni Blake Mar 24, 2009

This century is all about biotechnology; from advances in disease diagnosis to advances in genetics touching human lives, crops and animals. The biotech century signals not only the end of the big industry era of pollution and other non green human activities but the onset of generations dealing with the price of advances made in the previous century.

Biotechnology will have a hand in solving and helping settle the debt owed for the industrial advances and the lifestyle choices societies made. The field of medical technology responds to the lifestyle choices by improving disease diagnosis and with advances in medical care and treatment. Not only do we see technical advances but also pharmaceutical advances. The new technology is helping scientists better understand pharmacology and toxicology processes.

Agricultural biotechnology also plays a role settling our debt by developing new bio-remediation techniques and focusing on the use of biomass as an alternative renewable energy source. Agriculture biotechnology also has an important role in supplying food and fiber for the growing population by focusing on fields like genetically engineered plants, indoor agricultural techniques and the movement towards green agriculture.

Along with the advances come some tough bioethical questions that require objective answers. The questions raised try to understand the science of the morality behind human cloning, genetically engineered life forms and body parts and stem cell research.

Articles in the biotech/pharmaceutical suite offer a look at subject matter related to the research advances during the biotech century by exploring the positive along with the negative impacts.