Biotechnology

Key concepts

How Biotechnology connects to the ideas, people and events around it.

1. Genetic engineering

   includes

   Genetic engineering involves directly modifying an organism's DNA to achieve desired traits. The first recombinant DNA molecules were created in 1972 by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen.

2. Molecular cloning

   uses

   Recombinant DNA technology combines DNA fragments from different sources into a single molecule. It underpins the production of insulin using engineered bacteria since 1982.

3. CRISPR

   enables

   CRISPR is a genome-editing tool derived from bacterial immune systems. In 2012, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier demonstrated its ability to cut DNA at precise locations.

4. Biopharmaceutical

   produces

   Biopharmaceuticals are medical drugs produced using living cells, such as monoclonal antibodies. The first approved biopharmaceutical, human insulin, entered the market in 1982.

5. Agricultural biotechnology

   applies to

   Agricultural biotechnology applies molecular techniques to improve crops and livestock. Golden Rice, engineered to produce beta‑carotene, was approved for cultivation in 2021.

6. Synthetic biology

   includes

   Synthetic biology designs and constructs new biological parts, devices, and systems. The 2010 creation of a synthetic yeast chromosome demonstrated the field's capability to rewrite genomes.

7. Fermentation

   uses

   Fermentation is a metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol using microorganisms. It is employed industrially to produce beer, yogurt, and bioethanol.

8. John Gurdon

   influenced by

   John B. Gurdon is a developmental biologist who pioneered nuclear transfer cloning. He received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for demonstrating that mature cells can be reprogrammed.

Questions about Biotechnology