Biotechnology means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. For instance, biotechnology is applied to improve or facilitate cellular processes such as energy metabolism, gene transfer between unrelated species, or the engineering of enzymes for large scale production of drugs.
Biotechnology draws on the pure biological sciences (genetics, microbiology, animal cell culture, molecular biology, biochemistry, embryology, cell biology) and in many instances is also dependent on knowledge and methods from outside the sphere of biology (chemical engineering, bioprocess engineering, information technology, bio robotics). Conversely, modern biological sciences (including even concepts such as molecular ecology) are intimately entwined and dependent on the methods developed through biotechnology and what is commonly thought of as the life sciences industry.
Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non-food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e.g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil, biofuels), and environmental uses.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field which addresses biological problems using computational techniques, and makes the rapid organization and analysis of biological data possible. The field may also be referred to as computational biology, and can be defined as, "conceptualizing biology in terms of molecules and then applying informatics techniques to understand and organize the information associated with these molecules, on a large scale." Bioinformatics plays a key role in various areas, such as functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics, and forms a key component in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.
Blue biotechnology is a term that has been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology, but its use is relatively rare.
Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to agricultural processes. An example would be the selection and domestication of plants via micro propagation. Another example is the designing of transgenic plants to grow under specific environments in the presence (or absence) of chemicals. One hope is that green biotechnology might produce more environmentally friendly solutions than traditional industrial agriculture. An example of this is the engineering of a plant to express a pesticide, thereby ending the need of external application of pesticides. Whether or not green biotechnology products such as this are ultimately more environmentally friendly is a topic of considerable debate.
Red biotechnology is applied to medical processes. Some examples are the designing of organisms to produce antibiotics, and the engineering of genetic cures through genetic manipulation.
White biotechnology, also known as industrial biotechnology, is biotechnology applied to industrial processes. An example is the designing of an organism to produce a useful chemical. Another example is the using of enzymes as industrial catalysts to either produce valuable chemicals or destroy hazardous/polluting chemicals. White biotechnology tends to consume less in resources than traditional processes used to produce industrial goods. The investment and economic output of all of these types of applied biotechnologies is termed as bioeconomy.
Great promises for improvements in human health are offered by research using human stem cells, both adult and embryonic. Like many scientific advances, these technologies raise questions about balancing the promises offered against the potential harm for appropriate application.
Few advances in Science and Technology have generated as much controversy as the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) harvested from the pre-implantation embryos. The potential of hESCs to replace dead or damaged cells in any tissue of the body heralds the advent of a new field of medicine that may deliver cures for diseases now thought to be incurable.
In addition, hESCs offer a new model system for studies on the basic mechanisms of normal and abnormal development biology as also for drug discovery. These remarkable cells have captured the imagination of scientists and clinicians alike and given a new sense of hope to patients.
In addition, stem cell research raises many ethical, legal, scientific, and policy issues that are of concern to the policy makers and public at large. Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Therapy has been prepared for adult, cord blood and embryonic stem cells in response to the support provided by the Government to facilitate stem cell research in India so as to improve understanding of human health and disease, and evolve strategies to treat serious diseases.
These guidelines address both ethical and scientific concerns to encourage responsible practices in the area of stem cell research and therapy. Since the latter is being contemplated with greater vigour in India it was necessary to formulate guidelines for development of clinical grade stem cells. Therefore, a separate chapter on ‘Standards for Progenitor Cells Collection, Processing and Transplantation’ for India has been added to facilitate development of such cells by Indian researchers.
Stem cell research holds great promise for improving human health by control of degenerative diseases and restoration of damage to organs by various injuries; but at the same time it also raises several ethical and social issues such as destruction of human embryos to create human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines, potential for introducing commodification in human tissues and organs with inherent barriers of access to socioeconomically deprived and possible use of technology for germ-line engineering and reproductive cloning. The research in this field, therefore, needs to be regulated to strike a balance.
Of utmost importance is assurance of safety and rights of those donating gametes/ blastocysts/ somatic cells for derivation of stem cells; or fetal tissues/umbilical cord cells/ adult tissue (or cells) for use as stem cells. Safeguards have also to be in place to protect research participants receiving stem cell transplants, and patients at large from unproven therapies/remedies. With success of growing human embryonic stem cells without feeder layer, derivation of histocompatiblehES from embryos created by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) and tissue specific differentiation of umbilical cord/bone marrow derived mesenchymal and haematopoeitic stem cells, there is a need to generate public confidence in potential benefit of stem cell research to human health and disease. As stem cell therapy is poised to enter into clinical practice, there is an urgent need to formulate guidelines for Stem cell Research and Therapy (SCRT).
Any research on human beings, including human embryos, as subjects of medical or scientific experimentation, shall adhere to the general principles outlined in the “Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research on Human Participants” issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).