BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS AND USES
There are many things that biotechnology is used for, especially in the field of agriculture. It can be used to enhance a crop’s protection, increase a crop’s productivity, improve a crop’s nutritional value, add flavor to various foods, benefit the environment as well as developing countries, improve food processing, and create overall fresher produce. All of these things are just the tip of the iceberg as far as biotechnology’s uses in modern day society. Enhanced Protection and Increased Productivity. As I stated earlier, many crops use biotechnology to grow with a pesticide within the plant itself. This pesticide is really a protein that was placed inside of the plant that also kills pests. This protein is from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which is the main ingredient in many natural insecticides. This can save farmers money in the long run because they no longer need to use other fertilizers. Since 1997, the use of pesticides on global biotech crop acreage has been reduced by 790 million pounds, an 8.8 percent reduction.
An example of plant protection by the use of biotechnology are the development of two varieties of papaya developed by the University of Hawaii and Cornell University. The researchers created these varieties to be resistant to PRSV(papaya ringspot virus)by transferring one of the virus’s genes to the papaya to create the resistance. This is fundamentally the same method scientists use to create
Agronomists have been working on these problems for years, but the rapid population growth of humans makes overcoming these challenges increasingly urgent. If we can’t feed the world, it will eventually feed on us.” (Newsweek/United Nations) Scientists find a way to add “medicine” to plant genes, which help it withstands pest attacks and drought problems.“Some GMO corn crops can protect harvests in water-limited conditions better than conventionally produced crops. Other GMOs can also promote use of no-till farming, which keeps more moisture in the soil. No-till also enables farmers to make fewer passes through the field using machinery, which means less fuel used and greenhouse gases emitted.”(Monsanto) GMOs are useful for helping with planting crops in any area of the world.
I will interacted with other scientists of other disciplines to keep up with the latest research discoveries. A biotechnology engineer research to gain a better understanding of fundamental life processes or apply that understanding to develop new product or processes. Basics and applied research on biotechnological processes, such as recombining DNA, has led to the production of important substances, including human insulin and growth hormone. Many substances not previous available in large quantities are now produced by biotechnological method and some of these substances are useful in treating
Biotechnology, at its simplest is technology based on biology – it employs the use of cellular and bimolecular processes to develop products and technologies. The variety of living cells used for their biochemical talents range from simple singled-cells bacteria and yeast to complex multi-cellular organisms, such as plants and humans. Over the years, biotechnology has been a rapidly developing area of
“Biotechnology has been used for more than 6,000 years for lots of interesting and practical purposes: making food such as bread and cheese, preserving dairy products and fermenting beer” (Biotechnology - Promising a Brighter Future for the World). Although we do not always realize it, biotechnology is a huge part of our everyday lives, from the medicine we use to keep us healthy, the fuel we use to take us where we need to go, and even the food we eat and the sources it comes from, biotechnology already plays, and must continue to play, an invaluable role in meeting our needs. Biotechnology uses cellular and bio-molecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our
Genetic Engineering has a multiplicity of uses in agriculture. It can be utilized to increase crop output, resistance to pest and diseases, and enhanced growing conditions. Sagoff states “Genetic engineers can help peasant societies by engineering plants and animals to stand up to the challenges of local conditions, such as blights that affect yams and other traditional crops” (14). The article “Biotechnology and Agriculture: The Common Wisdom and Its Critics.” by Sagoff. Discusses how genetic manipulation of crops would be of major benefit in developing countries, primarily because said countries can 't grow enough food to suffice the populous. Genetic manipulation of plants can make food easier to grow in these countries.
Contrary to what some may believe, there are advantages and progression when it comes to food biotechnology and the genetically modified foods being produced by farmers today. GMO crops allow farmers less toxic pesticides on their fields. In the article Playing God in the Garden, the author discusses his experience of meeting a potato farmer. With further discussion the farmer Danny Forsyth explains how he cannot go out to his field until four or five days after its been sprayed because the toxic chemical including an organophosphate called monitor is a deadly chemical that has been found to cause neurological damage. With the New Leaf Plus which is protected from leafroll virus as well as beetles, he is able to skip a few sprayings at a time
Rising GM foods such as B.t. corn can aid to remove the use of chemical pesticides and decrease the price of transporting crops to the market. A specific fascinating pro of genetically modified foods is how they can be encoded to be drought and cold resistant. By creating drought resistant seeds, even in the worst weeks of the dry season, or even in the driest parts of Africa, these crops will grow regardless the situation. This is a huge development of technology and science when it comes to creating this kind of foods. Being cold resistant is also a fascinating innovation instead of the modern growing season being in the summertime months, winter weather can also be a productive time for agriculturalists. This means more harvest and more income for framers.
While scientist experiments are increased nutritional benefits or productivity, this two main traits have been added to date are herbicide tolerance and the ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide.Which results in no health benefit, only economic benefit. Vaccines, proteins and other pharmaceutical has been developed because of the use of molecular biology and which was a success. Scientist discoveries led to GMOs farmers to increase the use of weed killers while decreasing the use of pest
Although many may disagree, there are many advantages to genetic modification in foods. Environmentally speaking, Crops that have inherited pest resistance through genetic alterations often reduce the need for the application of chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides can often have harmful effects on the environment. They can kill beneficial insect species in the field and get into other ecosystems when washed into waterways. In addition, genetic engineering can be used in many ways to improve the efficiency of crops. Resistance to herbicide and insect pests are two ways can help to improve productivity. With the improvement of productivity comes the reduction of cost. The use of GMOs can reduce the need for the application of chemicals. In some cases they may lead to traits which ease planting, harvesting, or processing in ways which reduce the cost of production.
Biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make production cheaper and more manageable. For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to tolerate specific herbicides, which make weed control simpler and more efficient. Other crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific plant diseases and insect pests, which can make pest control more reliable and effective, and/or can decrease the use of synthetic pesticides. These crop production options can help countries keep pace with demands for food while reducing production costs. The USDA also mentions the fact that they are still trying to discover new methods to help the U.S. Often people worry about the negative rumors of what happens to crops when Genetically engineered plants are being grown. Genetically engineered plants are also being developed for a purpose known as phytoremediation in which the plants detoxify pollutants in the soil or absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil so that the plants may be harvested and disposed of safely. In either case the result is improved soil quality at a polluted site. Biotechnology may also be used to conserve natural resources, enable animals to more effectively use nutrients present in feed, decrease nutrient runoff into rivers and bays, and help meet the increasing world food and land demands. Researchers are at work to produce hardier crops that will flourish in even the harshest environments and
Biotechnology is the manipulation of microorganisms, through DNA manipulation and bioprocess manipulation for industrial, health, and food industries. Although, there are many different types of biotechnologies; agriculture is the leading type of biotechnology that has affected humans for thousands of years - and will continue to make a large impact for the future of humanity. What exactly is agricultural biotechnology? Agricultural biotechnology, or agritech, is a combination of tools to improve or manipulate microorganisms, or parts thereof, for agricultural use - such as bacteria resistant, improve crop yield, and the list goes on. Biotechnology, in specifies, agricultural biotechnology has been used for thousands of years. Scientists do not have a specific date as to when agritech was first utilized, but they have concluded that approximately ten thousand to twenty thousand years BC, early humans domesticated plants and animals. Overtime, the desired plants and animals were bred - the desired, and overall better quality plants and animals were selectively bred. Thus overtime, unknowingly
The benefits that we could gain from those are stronger plants, improved nutrition, healthier farm animals, environmental benefits, and new ingredients. With biotechnology, plants will be able to have a longer survivability and growth to benefit us. Plants would need to be able to survive under harsh condition of the environment and
This paper will be broken down into two main sections by the controversies and advancements in biotechnology. It will also end with a brief summary of my opinion on the use of biotechnology in modern day society and why I believe so. I will also add an additional works cited page that contains the URLs to all of the sources I received my information
One of the biggest advantages of agricultural biotechnology lies in its economic efficiency. GM crops are financially beneficial to both the farmer and the consumer. Due to their resistance to pests, viruses, and adverse climates, genetically altered crops produce much larger yields than organic or conventional crops. For example, studies show that if no insecticide is used, a GM crop known as Bt maize has a 48% higher yield than non-modified maize varieties
Genetic engineering in plants, most often to produce benefits in foods, have far more positives than negatives. One example of a positive of genetically modifying plants is that it can increase the consistency of crop yield