Advances in Applied Biotechnology

"Biotechnology is most briefly defined as the art of utilizing living organisms and their products for the production of food, drink, medicine or for other benefits to the human race, or other animal species. Technically speaking, humans have been making use of biotechnology since they discovered farming, with the planting of seeds to control plant growth and crop production. Animal breeding is also a form of biotechnology. More recently, cross-pollination of plants and cross-breeding of animals were macro-biological techniques in biotechnology, used to enhance product quality and/or meet specific requirements or standards.

As technology advances, the many roles biotech plays in our lives increase. Biotechnological advances can be found in nearly all sectors of industry today. There are, of course, the obvious medical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Biotechnology is being used to determine cause and effect of various diseases and is used in the production of drugs. The production of foods is enhanced by biotechnological advances that improve crop yields, introduce in-situ insect resistance and provide new ways of food preservation. Technological advances also include biodegradable packaging and built in bio-indicators of food contamination. In the environmental sector, biotech has played a role in remediation of contaminated land, water and air, pest control, treatment of industrial effluents and emissions, and acid mine drainage.

Almost every aspect of human life is touched by biotechnology. We continue to look for ways to improve our health, increase food production within eye to feeding the poor in less industrialized countries, and clean up our environment. Green biotechnology offers environmentally sound solutions to the onslaughts of the industrial revolution, and a wealth of hidden answers to our most intriguing medical questions. For those reasons, biotech research will carry on and the industry is here to stay.

The present book is a compilation of various articles from the experts in the field of Biotechnology who have spent lots and lots of years for the enrichment of Biotechnology and for the progress of the subject."