The fusion of technology and knowledge creates what the world once considered miracles and biotechnology can be considered a perfect example of where the knowledge of biology, when combined with technology, is making the world a better place, improving the quality of life and alleviating human suffering.
Fig. 1: A representational image of biotechnology
What is Biotechnology?
‘Biotechnology’, the term was coined by a Hungarian engineer, Karl Ereky and is defined according to the UN convention on biological diversity as, “Any technological application that utilizes biological systems or living organisms to manufacture or modify processes or products for use specific."
Transmitting life to life, through life, is the goal of biotechnology. The idea of modifying products to suit specific applications and developing them to make them more viable inspired man to reach the pinnacle where Biotechnology finds itself today.
Biotechnology has touched almost every aspect of human life and has also carved its niche. Biotechnology that deals with medical and health care is termed as Red Biotechnology . This is green Biotechnology when it comes to agricultural processes and white Biotechnology when it comes to industrial processes.
History
'Dolly', the cloned sheep, the human genome project, genetically modified crops, advances in medical science, have drawn the world's attraction to biotechnology and therefore carry a misconception of being a recent advent. However, the fact is that it is as old as our civilization. If you have clearly understood the definition of biotechnology given above, you can find that when you convert milk into yogurt or cheese, it is nothing but biotechnology, where a living organism (bacteria) produces the product. Agriculture, in a way, is also biotechnology. Selective planting of crops and animal husbandry has been practiced since the Neolithic revolution. Sumerians and Babylonians in 6,000 BC used yeast to make beer. The fermentation process, a natural process based on the biological activity of single-celled microorganisms, was first used by the Egyptians to bake bread and make wine.
The progress of biotechnology in the late 18th and early 19th centuries included some crucial discoveries such as vaccination, crop rotation to increase production and land use. The discovery of microorganisms, Mendel's work on genetics, Darwin's theory of natural selection, Pasteur's work on communicable diseases date back to the late 19th century.
Biotechnology had an industrial and agricultural presence at the beginning of the 20th century. The production and use of biofuels were encouraged during the world wars. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. In 1953, the structure of DNA was proposed, which shook up research in molecular biology and genetics. With the discovery of the restricted enzyme, it became possible to insert foreign genes into bacteria in 1973. This paved the way for the revolutionary technique 'recombinant DNA'. This technique allowed the production of human insulin from bacteria and is also considered the birth of modern biotechnology.
This legacy of life-changing biotechnological advances continues today.
The world of Biotechnology:
Biotechnology has made its presence felt in the medical, industrial, environmental, agricultural, forensic and many other areas that directly affect the lives of human beings and is also making a significant difference.
Red Biotechnology:
Figure 2: A representative image of red biotechnology applied to the medical and healthcare fields
Biotechnology applied to the medical and healthcare field is called 'Red Biotechnology'. Intensive research in this field has not only provided a ray of hope for several life-threatening diseases but has also improved the quality of life. Red biotechnology deals with pharmacogenomics, engineering organisms to produce antibiotics and vaccines, research and clinical trials, gene therapy and diagnostics. The technology is also useful in veterinary science and poultry farming.
Genetic engineering:
This application of biotechnology is no less than a boon for healthcare. Healing by altering genetics 
Figure 3: An image showing the application of biotechnology to genetic engineering
material of an individual. DNA, the genetic material, is manipulated by Gene Therapy either to replace defective genes or to complement normal genes using treatments such as Ex-vivo (from outside the body) or In-vivo (inside the body).
Gene splicing , a genetic engineering tool allows scientists to transfer genes from one organism to another. This change in the genetic composition of the organism led to the development of recombinant DNA, which proved to be a milestone in the production of the insulin necessary for type 2 diabetes. Some genes for human insulin are transferred to the E-coli bacteria, from which it is obtained greater insulin production.
Red biotechnology has also played a vital role in vaccine development. Genetically altered cowpox is used against flu, herpes and hepatitis. HGP
Pharmacogenomics and Medicines:
Figure 4: An image showing the application of biotechnology to pharmacogenomics and medicines
The study of pharmaceuticals and genetics, Pharmacogenomics, allows the design and production of medicines that meet the specific genetic needs of specific patients. With this technology it is also possible to determine the appropriate medication dosage for a patient, as genetic information allows us to know the body's response to the medication. It helps the pharmaceutical industry to develop better quality medicines.
Biotechnological medicines, known as biologics or biotherapeutics, are derived from genetic engineering or the manipulation of proteins in organisms. Unlike conventional medications, which treat symptoms broadly, biologics are used specifically.
Cloning:
The credit for popularizing this new field goes to 'Dolly', the sheep cloned at the Roslin institute in 1997. This also raised hopes of success in the development of human clones, which were then just a part of unlikely science fictions. In this technique, a nucleus is removed from a cell and placed inside an unfertilized egg and allowed to grow identically to the original donor nucleus.
Stem cell therapy:
This new facet of technology advancement has truly enormous potential. It could completely change the way we treat deadly diseases like cancer. Stem cells are cells in their initial stage, when they are not yet specialized to develop into any specific cell. These unspecialized cells can renew themselves over long periods of time through cell division and, under certain biochemical conditions, can be differentiated, that is, grow into specific cells. Thus, new cells can be inserted in place of damaged ones to treat the injury and the characteristic property of self-renewal allows the generation of tissues to replace tissues in the affected areas.
Recently, scientists managed to produce stem cells from endangered species, an advance that could save animals in danger of extinction.
Green Biotechnology
Green biotechnology:
Biotechnology has brought a revolution in the field of agriculture. Now isn't it fascinating to hear about genetically modified fruits and vegetables available in any season that offer specific nutrients. 
Figure 5: An image illustrating green biotechnology or plan biotechnology
final value. 'Transgenetic plants' modified to increase resistance to pests and diseases, improve flavor and increase growth in adverse climatic conditions have started to take place in our slaughterhouses. Not just this, but there is much more that green biotechnology, also known as Plant Biotechnology, has done especially to alleviate the pains of farmers. Key areas of research and applications include:
Plant tissue culture:
It is a technique that allows entire plants to be produced from small amounts of plant parts such as roots, leaves or stems, or even just a single plant cell under laboratory conditions. biological conditions (in vitro) and also to preserve genetic resources. The technique thus allows the production of clean products, disease-free planting material and that too at an accelerated pace.
Plant Genetic Engineering:
The technique of selective and deliberate gene transfer to produce new improved crops has made it possible to grow crops genetically modified for improved traits such as cotton, sweet potato, etc. Furthermore, crops can be developed that can withstand environmental stress. Genes with traits to deal with drought, salty soil and other conditions could completely solve the problem of crop deterioration.
Currently, there are three generations of genetically modified plants. The first contains genes with necessary traits that are significant from a breeding point of view, such as tolerance to herbicides or resistance to insects and diseases. Cultivating these plants brings benefits to farmers in the form of less use of pesticides or labor. The second generation is made up of plants whose improved characteristics are manifested in the final phase of use. These plants will be a source of improved food products. The genes introduced into them can alter the function of certain proteins. For example, an improved amino acid composition or an increased content of a certain vitamin (as in modified “Golden Rice”, with an increased content of provitamin A) can improve food quality and help prevent dangerous diseases such as childhood blindness caused in Asia by vitamin A deficiency. Genetic modification can also contribute to improving the taste of fruits and vegetables or reducing the content of allergens in foods. Such modification therefore generates direct benefits for consumers. The third and final generation consists of genetically modified plants that function as biofactories, producing concrete substances used in various industries.
Plants with altered fatty acid synthesis pathways are finding applications in the production of industrial oils and can also produce biopolymers to replace petroleum-derived compounds. Genetically altering the properties of many types of crops to obtain some special characteristics and proteins has helped a lot, especially for crops with industrial and medicinal values.
Biofertilizers and biopesticides:
Insects and pests will no longer be a headache for farmers if they employ biotechnological methods to make their crops immune to them. Another form offered by biotechnology is biofertilizers and pesticides. Using biofertilizers not only saves a huge amount of money spent on chemical fertilizers but also helps in avoiding the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on crops.
' Hybridization ', 'Breeding assisted by molecular markers' are some of the diverse applications of green biotechnology that aim to create crops with specific characteristics and better quality.
White Biotechnology
White Biotechnology:
With the differentiated potential witnessed in the medical and agricultural sectors, industrial processes cannot remain untouched. When it comes to industrial processes, it is called white biotechnology. It operates in the production of various products, from bread to biodiesel! Enzymes and organisms are employed for the processing and production of chemicals and other products. Such fermentation and enzymatic processes are also economical and environmentally friendly compared to their physical and mechanical processes.
White Biotechnology is significantly affecting the chemical, textile, paper, food, mining and cosmetics industries by introducing environmentally friendly biological processes instead of traditional methods dependent on synthetic petroleum-based products. The use of enzymes for washing processes in the textile industries is a good example, where biological processes have halved the cost and energy used. It is also used for water purification with certain bacteria, production of biodegradable plastics, enzymes in food manufacturing, insulin production, and more.
White Biotechnology is also concerned with the production of alternative energy resources. The production of ethanol, replacing gasoline, from starch and carbohydrates began the era of Biofuels. The ongoing research in this field is promising and we can look forward to a future powered by environmentally friendly biofuels; shift from the “hydrocarbon economy” to the “carbohydrate economy”.
Blue Biotechnology
Blue biotechnology is concerned with the application of molecular biology methods to marine and freshwater organisms. It involves the use of these organisms, and their derivatives, for purposes such as increasing the supply and safety of seafood, controlling the proliferation of harmful waterborne organisms and developing new medicines.
Bioinformatics:
Information science applied to biology produces the field 'Bioinformatics'. Bioinformatics and computational biology employ computational techniques to 
Figure 6: A Representational Image of the Field of Bioinformatics
address biological problems and data analysis. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, computer science, biochemistry.
The terms bioinformatics and computational biology are often used interchangeably. However, bioinformatics more properly refers to the creation and advancement of algorithms, computational and statistical techniques, and theory to solve formal and practical problems posed by or inspired by the management and analysis of biological data. Computational biology refers to the hypothesis-based investigation of a specific biological problem using computers, carried out with experimental and simulated data, with the main objective of discovering and advancing biological knowledge.
Bioinformatics deals with creating and maintaining databases of biological information. Advances in molecular biology and modern equipment in this area have made rapid gene sequencing possible. Bioinformatics is responsible for finding the DNA sequence of organisms, predicting the structure of discovered proteins, grouping protein sequences, and developing protein models.
The main areas of research that employ bioinformatics are structural genomics, genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting, evolutionary modeling, and functional genomics.
Future
Technology tomorrow:
Biotechnology has the potential to change our world. The coming years could witness an entirely new way of growing crops, dealing with deadly diseases and dealing with 
Figure 7: An image showing the use of biotechnology in treating diseases and environmental issues
environmental problems. From our medicines to our foods, biotechnology offers new, healthier ways for every aspect of life. In the future era of biotechnology, children will be produced in hatcheries instead of being born. In addition, parents will be able to choose which genetic combination they want to pass on to their children.
Many techniques such as Crytogenetics, Xenotransplantation, Proteomics, DNA microarrays are ready to add new horizons to the advancement of biotechnology. Some ambitious projects within biotechnology capable of changing the face of the world include 'Proteins based' Biochips ' (which can replace silicon chips), Biological Sensors Nanotechnology applied to biotechnology, DNA fullerenes, enzymatic computers and much more. The future of Biotechnology brings promises of improving the quality of life, eliminating hunger, alleviating suffering, eliminating diseases and many incalculable possibilities. The world of biotechnology is spinning faster and faster!!