Biotechnology (BT), as we all know, is the field of combination of various fields such as genetics, molecular biology, molecular DNA technology, environmental biology, chemistry, zoology etc. It is widely used for detail scientific studies DNA and proteins and also microbes.
BT includes industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, general biotechnology, agriculture biotechnology, marine biotechnology, etc. BT is not new; we humans have been using this for over 6000 years for fermentation, production & preservation of various food & dairy products. But in 60`s and 70`s; we gained better understanding and knowledge for the science behind these techniques.
Industrial biotechnology (IBT), also known as white biotechnology, is the modern use and application of biotechnology for the sustainable production of biochemicals, biomaterials and biofuels from renewable resources, using living cells and/or their enzymes. This results generally in cleaner processes with minimum waste generation and energy use. Bioenergy means energy from food and non food stock & biofuel (biodiesel). As the non-biological energy sources are limited and that they can be lost in future, hence they are very important. Also their excess use spreads pollution. So to overcome this problem biological energy (bioenergy) sources are an important alternative and they are produced with the help of industrial biotechnological techniques. It is also considered as the third wave of biotechnology.
Not only this, IBT also includes the studies of cell & cell components such as enzymes for the production of industrial friendly products. The best example for this is the phosphate water pollution. During 1970`s, use of phosphates in laundry detergent created massive water problems. But BT gave us enzymes which were able to give us the same effect on laundry and in fact was able to remove stains better than phosphates ever could. So it gave us non-polluting bio-based products. This not only benefited the home workers but also dramatically reduced the phosphate related algal blooms in water around the world. A form of IBT has been dated as far back as 6000 BC when people used fermentation to make beer, and gradually cheese, yoghurt, vinegar and other food products were fermented.
The best example of the use of biotechnology in industry is the large-scale production of penicillin. In 1928 sir Alexander Fleming extracted the drug from mould & with the help of biotechnological techniques we were able to produce it at a large scale. During world war II the IBT revolution began and it gave us enzymes which made daily life easier for example enzymes which are now used to tenderise meat and those used in the fluids of contact lens to remove sticky protein deposits more easily. IBT is different than healthcare or agriculture biotech with a broad range of applications in bio-based products and bioenergy, manufacturing and chemical synthesis, nanotechnology and national defense application.
Now bioplastics & biopesticides are widely used. Industrial biotechnological techniques are used to prepare it in such a way that cost is reduced and also quality is improved so everyone can use it. Through this, pollution problems can also be reduced in near future. Bioplastics are made in such a way that they get degraded completely by the microbes which are present in the soil so the land pollution can be lowered. In the case of chemical pesticides, extended use negatively affects the crops as well as human beings. It is harmful for the soil and water because the chemicals which are used can create pollution. To overcome this or a better alternative for chemical pesticides is biopesticides. In biopesticides , microbes are used which are harmful to pests but not for humans. And also these microbes help to improve the fertility of the soil. To prepare bio pesticides an important technology is IBT.
IBT is the premier forum for the critical fields stated below & the only field correlating and connecting biotechnology R & D with later-stage commercialization for all industrial and environmental applications, including;
? bioenergy & biofuel
? pharmaceuticals
? biomass & biorefineries
? food, beverages & food processing
? agriculture science & agronomics
? nanobiotechnology
? synthetic biology & genome engineering
? bioremediation
? pulp & paper
? textile
? detergents
? industrial enzymes
? biodefence
? biomaterials: bioplastics, biofilms
? cosmetics
IBT can provide biological systems for chemical production but requires integration of genomics, molecular biology and process controls. IBT has great impact in chemical sector. In 2005, IBT products made from bio based feedstocks or through fermentation or enzymatic conversion accounted for seven per cent sales and $77 billion in value within the chemical sector. Economical studies indicate that by 2010 industrial biotechnology will account for 10 per cent of sales within chemical industry; and in near future it will account up to 90 per cent of sales in chemical sector. The estimated value of industrial biotechnological products in chemical sector in global market by 2010 is US $ 125 billion and by 2030 the value will be US $ 300 billion.
Another growing sector is bioenergy and biofuel such as ethanol and biodiesel for which certain industrial enzymes & microbes are widely used. Ethanol from cellulosic materials (such as corn stalk, wheat straw etc.) is now quite easy to produce and is the most used method for commercial production with the help of cellulosic enzymes given by IBT. The cost of enzymes is reduced to 30- fold so the cost of ethanol is reduced from $ 5 per gallon to $ 0.20 per gallon. It is estimated that USA would produce 60 billion gallons of ethanol by 2030 through this method; which is enough to fill six million tanker trucks and would be enough to fuel over 100 million automobiles for a year; so it will greatly affect the economy of the country. Processing just 30 per cent of U.S. corn stover into biofuels would reduce net U.S. greenhouse gas emission by 90 to 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, enough to:
? Offset the co2 emission of 10 typical 1000-megawatt coal-fired power plants
? More than offset recent annual growth in emission from all sectors of the U.S. economy.
A recent study found that producing 25 per cent of America’s energy from agriculture resources would generate in excess of $700 billion annually in economic activity, create 5.1 million jobs and add $180 billion to net farm income by 2025. Improved market prices for corn and other feedstock crops will produce an estimated cumulative savings in government farm payments of $15 billion. It is estimated that an investment of $1 billion in R & D and demonstration should cut the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol in half by 2015, saving consumers $20 billion per year in fuel costs by 2050.
Main objectives for Industrial Biotechnology Research is the development and production of novel, innovative products and processes in a cost- and eco-efficient manner, using increasingly renewable raw materials through the discovery and optimization of strains and biocatalysts. These biocatalysts have applications in pharmaceuticals, food ingredients (sweeteners, vitamins), feed additives and other agrochemicals, organic solvents, polymer raw materials and biofuels. According to a McKinsey analysis , by 2010 biocatalysis will be used in production of 60 per cent of fine chemicals. Perhaps various enzymes involved in the biosynthesis or catabolism of approximately 40 naturally occurring chemical functional groups are still not known.
Industrial biotechnology involves the use of microbial production of enzymes such as lipase, starch hydrolyzing or modifying; carbohydrate oxidases/dehydrogenases, which are specialised proteins; and these enzymes make industrial biotechnology such a powerful new area of technology for the future. .IBT uses genetically modified yeasts, bacteria and fungi to produce these enzymes which are helpful in lowering production cost, giving more profit to the manufacturer, in reducing pollution, and in enhancing resource conservation.
Mathis Wackernagel has rightly said, “IBT also provides sustainability to human beings; sustainability is securing people’s quality of life within the means of nature.” IBT is still in its early stages of development. Its innovative applications are increasing and spreading rapidly into all areas of manufacturing. If biotechnology is able to be developed to its full potential then IBT will have a larger impact on the world than health and agriculture biotechnology combined. It will be able to create new markets and offer businesses a way to reduce costs while protecting the environment. Review times are also quicker than with new drugs which means that advancements and the benefits seen in IBT can occur in as little as two years from lab study to commercial application. It is in the interest of both business and government to faster the diffusion of these innovative applications into many sectors of the manufacturing economy. Also IBT would stand up very well in regulatory regimens requiring the calculation of economics- costs and benefits.
So, IBT is a new exciting field which is beneficial and helpful to humans, animals, plants and environment. Therefore it is rightly known as White Biotechnology which had helped us in the past, is involved in our present and also will have a much greater impact in our future.
Parth S. Amin is faculty Ashok and Rita Integrated College of Biotechnology, Mrunali R. Patel is faculty Indukaka Ipcowala College of Pharmacy and Rashmin B. Patel is facultyA. R.
College of Pharmacy and G. H. Patel Institute of Pharmacy, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar.