Biotechnology combines science and engineering methodologies to develop new technologies that improve the lives of people all over the world.
People have used microorganisms for over thousands of years to make things like cheese and bread and to help preserve dairy products. This dynamic and growing field has led to the innovation of life-changing products that combat diseases, reduce global hunger, conserve energy, and preserve the natural environment.
Three Promising Biotechnological Innovations
Sure, biotechnology holds great potential to change the world for the better, but vague claims and broad descriptors don’t tell the whole story. Here are three concrete examples of how innovations within the biotech industry truly do make a difference in our lives:
Spray on Skin. Remember the awful news of the terrorist attacks in Bali back in 2005? Dr. Fiona Wood of Australia developed a unique solution for burn victims of this attack that has gained global attention. Currently, Wood acts as Director of the West Australian Burns Service and co-founded Clinical Cell Culture, Ltd. She came up with a technique commonly referred to as “spray on skin”. This pioneering woman’s innovation significantly reduced the number of deaths from the Bali bombings. Her method speeds up healing and greatly reduces scarring. In the past, skin culturing techniques could take up to 21 days, leaving burned skin open to serious infection. Wood’s spray-on-skin reduces this time to a mere five days.
Blood Test for Cancer Detection. This breakthrough technology has the potential to detect a single molecule of tumor DNA among up to 10,000 healthy DNA molecules in a blood sample. While still in clinical trials, this technology looks very promising. Researchers hope this new blood test can reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. They also hope to “…develop assays that could simultaneously screen for multiple cancers,” according to investigator Maximilian Diehn of Stanford University School of Medicine. One day, physicians could use this test to screen people who are at-risk for certain cancers, but seem healthy. The implication is countless lives saved through early detection.
Tobacco as a Biofuel. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have found a way to use the much maligned tobacco plant in a positive way. They’ve developed a method for increasing oil production in tobacco leaves, so they can use this oil as a biofuel. In the past we’ve used corn for fuel, but the tobacco plant provides an opportunity to stop exploiting plants we use for food as fuel. The researchers found that tobacco plants are more efficient at generating biofuel than other plants. The investigators genetically engineered tobacco plants so that their leaves express significantly more oil — up to 20 times more than normal.
Biotechnology enriches our lives in countless other ways and has the potential to change the world as we know it for the better. At Emergent, we’re constantly developing, improving, and refining technologies to that have potential to heal, feed, and create clean energy sources for the world. What do you want to build today?