Decoding Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a broad discipline in which biological processes, organisms, cells or cellular components are exploited to develop new technologies. New tools and products developed by biotechnologists are useful in research, agriculture, industry and the clinic. Agriculture, a form of Biotechnology, has harnessed the natural processes of microorganisms for over 5,000 years, producing food and drink for our species. And like any technology, biotechnology also has the potential to be misused.

Today’s biotechnology advancements help to fight disease, optimize industrial production and assembly, analyze and compute biological data, and lessen our ecological impression with clean energy. The latest advances in biotechnology are helping us get ready to meet society's most challenging needs.

Presently, there are more than 300 biotechnology medicinal services items and antibodies accessible to patients. An excess of 20 million researchers around the globe use horticultural biotechnology to increase yields of fruits and vegetables in agriculture and decrease their production energy requirement in nature. Also, more than 40 bio-refineries are operating across the world to create, test and refine biofuels and chemicals from renewable biomass, which can help diminish nursery gas emissions.

What are some of the applications of biotechnology?

Medicine:

Biotechnology techniques are used in medicine for diagnosis and treating different diseases. It gives opportunities for the people to protect themselves from dangerous diseases.

The field of Biotechnology, genetic engineering has introduced techniques like gene therapy, recombinant DNA technology and polymerase chain reaction which use genes and DNA molecules to diagnose diseases and insert new and healthy genes in the body which replace the damaged cells.

Agriculture:

Biotechnology has played major role in agriculture by altering genes, studying and cloning various crops in order to provide better quality products of foods ultimately improving our lives. Biotech increases crop yields with fewer inputs by bringing down the volumes of horticultural chemicals required by yields. Creating crops with improved sustenance profiles that settle vitamin and supplement inadequacies is possible only with the help of biotechnology innovations.

Environment:

The use of Biotechnology for solving environmental problems in ecosystems is known as Environmental Biotechnology. It is applied and is used to study the natural environment. It is used in the field of biomarker creation, bio-energy, bioremediation and biotransformation.

The major benefit of environmental biotechnology is that it helps to keep our environment safe and clean for the use of the future generations. It helps the organisms and the engineers to find useful ways of getting adapted to the changes in the environment and keeping the environment clean and green.

Minimum requirements to be a Biotechnologist

Students seeking admission in a Biotechnology program must have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology/ Mathematics to be eligible for admission in any Biotechnology college. A proficiency in English and a passion for biology are both encouraged.

Indian Academy Degree College Autonomous has been rated as one of the top-rated Biotechnology colleges in the country, and is a highly sought-after choice in the field.

Opportunities and career prospects in Biotechnology

The opportunities are abundant in the field of biotechnology. Students can pursue Biotechnology courses in any of the biotechnology colleges after completing B.Sc/B.Tech, M.Sc/M.Tech or even after MBA. The BSc / MSc in Biotechnology provides a firm basis for pursuing a career in any aspect of science involving biotechnology. This could involve the food, pharmaceutical or environmental sectors, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, nanobiotechnology, use of microbes, DNA vaccines, production of new materials using new ideas, new drug-delivery systems, organ transplantation, rational drug design, nutraceuticals, plant-based drugs, enzyme engineering and technology, stem cell techniques, and tissue culture. Some of the distinctive employment profiles for Biotechnologists include lab professionals, research partners, engineers, promoting officials and business improvement chiefs.

Biotechnology students in India can seek employment in government based organizations or at private firms as researchers/partners. At the same time, they may discover a position in particular biotechnology organizations or biotech-related organizations, nourishment makers, aquaculture and horticultural organizations that are in sync with businesses identifying with life sciences extending from hardware to chemicals to pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.The biotechnology business keeps on prospering and blooming across the nation and will continue to do so.