Over the past four decades, biotechnology has progressed and revolutionized industries with cutting-edge scientific solutions and techniques. It has developed into an extremely successful and profitable sector all unto its own.
Several industries and industry verticals have been radically transformed by biotechnology on a global scale, including but not limited to healthcare, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, and environmental services.
Industry leaders and business owners are becoming more aware of the technologies that can help them grow and expand. By understanding and harnessing the power of biotechnology, many businesses involved in these industries have significantly benefitted and grown in leaps and bounds thanks to advanced scientific discoveries and the advantages they continue to provide.
Healthcare And Medicine
Medical biotechnology has had a tremendous impact on modern healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry worldwide and continues to stimulate new growth in affiliated businesses, large and small. For those who work or have a financial stake in the healthcare sector, it’s crucial to follow the trajectory of cutting-edge biotechnology from news channels and online blogs such as BiotechHealth.
In the context of medicine, biotechnology involves studying and using live cells and cellular materials to research human diseases and develop cures. This is how vaccines and antibiotics are formulated, which are instrumental in protecting global public health and saving countless lives.
Businesses that use biotechnology place themselves on the frontier lines of healthcare technology in combatting current or future health crises. It also increases their competitive edge in the race to discover medical cures and solutions. Other modern biotechnological advancements in medicine have been:
- Stem cell research
- Genetic testing
- Artificial tissue growth
- Leading-edge biotech medicine and treatments
- Augmented reality for surgery
- Face transplants
- Nerve regeneration
- Brain signal translation
- Bionic technology: 3D printed organs
- Targeted cancer therapy
Innovation with biopharmaceuticals continues to advance and sustain widespread, groundbreaking success in improving human health. Experts estimate potentially thousands of natural organisms, particularly proteins, that can be used to synthesize medicine and eradicate life-threatening diseases.
Agricultural Biotechnology
The agricultural industry has developed in many ways to benefit humans and the environment while keeping affiliated businesses thriving and profitable. Pollution and environmental issues have been targeted by biotechnology companies to provide ethical and effective solutions using advanced scientific methods.
One of the most well-known techniques applied in agricultural biotechnology is genetically-modified crops, which are environmentally and economically sustainable compared to older, traditional growth methods. Also referred to as food biotechnology, this entails artificially growing crops with their own pest-resistant capabilities.
This approach eliminates the need for spraying crops with harsh chemicals and pesticides, which are toxic and harmful to the environment, as well as to humans and animals. It especially benefits farmers and their businesses. By choosing to grow biotech crops, farmers receive less criticism about using pesticides and fertilizers.
They also enjoy higher financial returns with increased crop yields and decreased production costs. Advances in herbicidal weed control have also created advantages for farmers and the environment, which include:
- Improved soil health
- Efficient soil regeneration and carbon storage
- Improved irrigation systems and water conservation
- Fuel conservation due to less plowing
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
The benefits of food biotechnology extend beyond production and reach food companies and consumers as well. Genetically-engineered and modified foods give humans more control over the nutritional content and quality of what they consume on a scientific level. Entities and businesses in all areas of the food market and stages of the supply chain gain in efficiency and revenue from this advanced technology.
Industrial Production And Manufacturing
Biotechnology is far advanced and widely implemented in improving manufacturing processes on multiple levels. Industrial production of manufactured products can be hard on the environment and expensive to maintain, and biotechnology has improved the efficiency of these processes to lower costs and environmental impacts.
Efficiency is one of the key strategies for improving industrial processing, also known as “White Biotechnology.” Clean technologies have been adopted by industrial manufacturing companies, and case studies have shown improved results that benefit businesses and society in four ways:
- Pollution prevention
- Resource conservation
- Cost reduction
- Emerging markets and business opportunities
Industrial biotechnology uses enzymes and microorganisms to produce the following:
- Food ingredients
- Biofuels
- Chemically produced products, such as detergents
- Paper products
- Textiles
Fermentation is a primary example of biotechnology used for industrial production. Industrial fermentation involves advanced enzyme manufacturing technology which is used in food preservation and processing and scientific research in pharmaceuticals.
By comparison, traditional chemical synthesis techniques involve using larger amounts and less efficient means of energy, as well as less desirable products that are not environmentally friendly. Biotechnological processes and applications can produce almost the same quality of chemicals in a much more economical and efficient way that’s less damaging to the environment.
Environmentalism And Biotechnology
Environmental biotechnology practices include waste management solutions and pollution-prevention strategies. It is a scientific and engineering approach to using microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria for decontamination, thereby integrating biology with technology to deal with harmful, toxic substances in environmentally responsible and sustainable ways.
Biological processes that benefit businesses and the environment include:
- Converting plants into biofuels
- Creation of plant-based plastics
- Treatment of toxic waste and sewage with bioengineered plants and microbes
- Mapping contaminated sites with geographic information systems (GIS)
- Remediation planning in accordance with environmental regulations
- Converting waste into clean energy sources and biogas
- Replacing chemicals with biological processes and enzymes
Businesses that provide services based on environmental biotechnology have generated considerable interest in their advanced technologies for sustainable and ethical practices in waste and pollution management. These services are also essential to businesses that need to properly dispose of toxic waste and byproducts from their manufacturing processes, to be in compliance with local conservation laws, and avoid penalties or fees related to pollution and environmental stress.
Conclusion
Since its inception in the 1970s, biotechnology has undergone remarkable growth and development over the years and has contributed billions in profits to multiple industries worldwide. It offers opportunities for improved quality of life and better business practices and has accelerated progress in reducing carbon footprints. Small and large-scale businesses should continue to stay current with scientific updates in biotechnology to maximize their profitability and efficiency goals while doing their part in benefitting society and future generations.
Interesting Related Article: “Improve Your Business with These 5 Marketing Techniques“