| N convention on Biological Diversity has defined | | | | progress in these two segments. |
| Biotechnology as "’Biotechnology’ | | | | Environmental Technology; Waste water and |
| means any technological application that uses | | | | sewerage treatment, Landfill technologies, |
| biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives | | | | composting, bioremediation, Detection and monitoring |
| thereof, to make or modify products or processes | | | | pollutants, microbes and geological environment, |
| for specific use”. | | | | environmental sustainability and clean technology. |
| Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary subject. The | | | | Renewable Resources Technology: The use of |
| European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) considers | | | | biomass as a source of energy supplements the use |
| biotechnology as ‘the integration of natural | | | | of fossil fuel. |
| sciences and organisms, cells, parts thereof and | | | | Plant, animal, agriculture: Plant Biotechnology, |
| molecular analogues for products and | | | | Improved varieties of agricultural products using |
| services.’ As we have seen from the | | | | tissue culture, improved resistance to specific |
| definition of Biotechnology, it spreads over a wide | | | | herbicides, improved resistance to insects, pests and |
| spectrum of technologies. The key constituents of | | | | microbial diseases, improved post harvest |
| Biotechnology are: Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, | | | | characteristics, production of high values oil products, |
| Genetics, Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular and cell | | | | forest biotechnology, biological control, animal |
| Biology, Human, Animal and Plant Physiology. | | | | biotechnology, genetic engineering for transgenic |
| Biotech industry now has almost captured every | | | | animals, genetically engineered hormones and |
| sphere of human life. The industry segment is vast. | | | | vaccines, animal organs for human patients, diagnostic |
| To find the key trends of the industry and the | | | | in agriculture, genetically developed seeds, |
| market segment it covers, I will give a broad | | | | Health care: New products based on biotechnology |
| spectrum of applications of Biotechnology and its | | | | are appearing almost daily in the market place, These |
| market segment. Bioprocess Technology: Better | | | | includes therapeutic products, pre-natal diagnosis of |
| know as fermentation technology. Traditional forms | | | | genetic diseases, vaccines, immunodiagnostic and |
| of bioprocess technology related to food and | | | | DNA probe of disease identification, and genetic |
| beverages, but new products are increasingly being | | | | therapy. The use of Antibiotics, Vaccines and |
| derived from microbial and mammalian fermentations. | | | | monoclonal antibodies, Biopharmaceuticals, insulin, |
| Bioprocess technology is increasingly using cells | | | | somatostain, interferons, lympokines, Gene therapy |
| derived from higher plants and animals to produce | | | | are giving new impetus to fight the diseases like |
| many important products, foods and beverages. | | | | AIDS, cancer etc. This is one of the most important |
| Enzyme Technology: Food production and | | | | segments of market, where Biotechnology is going |
| preservation, improvement of the environment, and | | | | to take over completely. |
| other medical sectors. | | | | Crime detection and identity verification: This |
| Waste Technology: Biotechnology is used to produce | | | | segment deals with use of genetics for crime |
| Single cell protein (SCP) from organic wastes. SCP is | | | | detection. |
| used as protein supplement for animals and human. | | | | Metal recovery; Genetically designed microbes are |
| The waste technology is also supplementary to | | | | used in the process of extracting oil from ground and |
| Environmental and Energy Technology, giving rapid | | | | metals from factory waste. |