Applications of biotechnology
So Biotech offers a great many uses to us. It can vastly improve the way we live, and make many of our industries more effective, efficient and generally eco-friendly and greener. As mentioned earlier, biotech has been on the rise since the term was first coined and one of modern sciences greatest achievements occurred. The discovery of penicillin’s antibiotic use by Scottish bacteriologist, Alexander Flemming.
Since that discovery in 1928, biotech has helped describe DNA as the ‘double-helix’ and the developing technology cloned the first mammal, Dolly the Sheep and created the first synthetic cell. Most recently, biotech was used to help fight the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic. Whilst this looks at biotech on a global scale, biotech is also used domestically too.
ALCOHOL – Alcohol is one of the most common, and most basic uses of biotech in everyday use today. Beer is a mix of water, starch and hops. The starch is usually found in grains, like barley and wheat. This starch needs to be converted to sugar by using enzymes, and as already mentioned, enzymes are a large part of the industrial biotech industry.
PLASTICS – Plastics most likely dominate your home, and it’s no surprise given how easy they are to create and their wide range of applications. Plastics can be used in sunglasses, pens, phone cases and even things like shampoos. Another benefit of most modern plastics is that they are degradable, and can be changed and recycled into something new.
FABRICS – Biochemical are used to dye fabrics a certain colour. However, they are also used in the production of polyester, a synthetic fibre produced from fossil fuels. It is this polyester that is widely used in the production of fabrics like clothing, blankets and even things like curtains.
Then of course there is what is possibly now the most contentious use of biotechnology, the production and refining of our fossil fuels into our various grades of petrochemicals.
So as you can see the depth and range of the use of biotechnological developments is vast and each year brings us new possibilities.