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Biotechnology: Technology for the Future!
An incident in the life of a biotechnologist: when someone inquires about his field of work, he discloses his profession and then waits in apprehension. What follows is either a queer smirk on the face saying “…and what is that, my dear friend?”; or even more annoyingly, a compliment accompanied by a know-it-all smile and a nod of the head that is sure to dispel any doubts about the inquirer’s ignorance on the present topic. Yet this is no stray incident. Strangely enough though, even as the majority of educated men and women remain unaware of biotechnology’s potential as a viable field of study, it is fast becoming clear that biotechnology is the technology to drive future generations. So much so that there is a fair chance that our own survival in the days to come might depend on how well it develops, and how fast! So, what exactly is it all about? To put it very briefly, biotechnology seeks to apply the principles of physics, chemistry and engineering to biological systems. For centuries, biological and physical sciences have been treated as completely separate and distinct branches of study. But research in the past half a century or so has led to the startling realization that, at the molecular level, the same laws which govern the physical world apply to living systems as well. We are now able to explain the complex responses of life through chemical reactions and physical interactions—now we know that life, no matter how incomprehensible it seems, is nothing but an organized assembly of molecules. Biotechnologists, on their part, strive to understand and hence manipulate the organization and functioning of this assembly, in the same way as engineers do with physical systems. But the question remains, what exactly are we able to achieve by doing that? Well, the answer to that is “Just about everything”!! To give an idea of its amazing potential, let us take a sneak-peek into the world of biotechnology with some of its recent advances that is sure to touch our lives sooner or later. If we look around the world today, arguably the biggest problem facing mankind is the overuse of energy resources. Not only is it depleting our reserves for the future, but also bringing about potentially catastrophic changes in the environment, that could well put our future in jeopardy. In this hour of necessity, biotechnology could hold the key to the answers. Amidst the hue and cry on reduction of emission levels, a new class of fuel, obtained from a variety of biological sources, has been gaining popularity worldwide. Collectively known as bio-fuels, they have been found to generate much lower levels of toxicity in the atmosphere than conventional fuels. Biotechnologists around the world are now trying to come up with new cost-effective methods for large scale production of bio-fuels. The eco-friendly bio-diesel car is no more a distant possibility—and before you know it could well find its way into your garage! However, in the quest for cleaner fuels and renewable energy resources, the real breakthrough came about when scientists were able to culture microbes in the laboratory to produce hydrogen, a potential non-toxic fuel. While conventional fuels like petrol and diesel produce highly toxic carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide when combusted, hydrogen produces water vapor, which is perfectly clean and harmless. The implications are astounding: with rapid advancement in this field, odds are that we might live to see hydrogen-run zero-emission automobiles plying the roads. In years to come, a lot will depend on the advancement of these new techniques if the myth of sustainable development is to be turned into reality. But for now, one thing is for sure—it is only a matter of time before these emerging technologies become an integral part of our daily existence. Let us shift our focus now from contemporary problems to one of the most enduring scientific quests: to find that unique ‘thing’ that sets life apart from the rest of the physical world—the magic wand that infuses and sustains life in an otherwise lifeless form. With the discovery of the DNA and the ‘genome’, researchers claimed to have ended the quest; the mystery of life was solved and the elusive ‘thing’ unveiled: the human genome is a five billion letter long sequence of four distinct chemical alphabets that literally spells out who we are! Research has shown that everything is indeed ‘in our genes’—from the color of our hair to the shape of our toe-nails, from our I.Q. to our emotional behavior, every little information is packed into the genomic sequence. But that was only the beginning. Not content with merely deciphering the chemical code of life, biotechnologists began finding ways to tamper with it—rearranging the alphabets to form new sequences, and with unprecedented results! Imagine a world where simply by looking at a person’s genome experts will be able to predict the sort of diseases he is likely to suffer and even prescribe medicines to ‘cure’ the abnormalities that might cause them. Absurd as it may seem today, thanks to the rapid advancements in gene-based technologies, it might not be long before such a system is in place. As genetic engineers unravel the secrets of genes, they come upon new treasure troves, left untouched—unexplained and still to be explored. The world, though, has already had glimpses of what modern genetics is capable of—from HYV seeds, clones to gene therapy and alternative medicine—it is everywhere. And yet, this is only the tip of the iceberg! With rising population and food shortage, genetically modified crop-plants might be the ones to sustain our future generations; fatal diseases like cancer may finally be cured through genetic alterations—the possibilities are endless. It is mind-boggling what biotechnology has achieved in such a short span of time. Researchers are only beginning to realize the infinite avenues of possibility it has opened up. Slowly but surely, it is making its presence felt in diverse fields ranging from clean energy to waste management, from agriculture and farming to medicine and healthcare. If recent developments are anything to go by, the world should be expecting a revolution in biotechnology in the near future, much like the one it has experienced in telecommunication. With the technology that promises to answer the most daunting problems the world is about to face, this is the science on which the future of this planet might be built. Even the most skeptical observer or the most ignorant non-observer will have to concede then that biotechnology is not merely another academic discipline, it is indeed the future of technology. Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. More on Chillibreeze.comRelated links: Plan your Biotechnology Career Other popular articles on Chillibreeze: HR in India
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