Biotechnology has been one of the recent advancements from pure science. The right definition of biotechnology raises a number of correlated responses. This is because biotechnology is a new branch of pure science that is gaining fast recognition. Some of those outstanding responses that attempt to define biotechnology include the application of integration of biology and technology, a promising field that deals with using organisms, and a field of science that uses biological knowledge and strives to elucidate biology. In addition to these, other distinctive responses include artificial methods that involve the taking and application of technology and relevant tools that aid in the study of biology. In this regard, it is obvious that comments made out of attempts to appropriately define biotechnology are a result of five reasons. These include the facts that:
- Biotechnology is new,
- It is a tool,
- It has a purpose to advance,
- It is an artificial method,
- It uses biology and technology.
This reflects that those with the proper level of education have come to appreciate the fact that biotechnology is an integration of biology and technology. Its purpose, therefore, is the achievement of some form of improvement from scientific facts to everyday applications. Although these facts are all valid as regards the definition and role of biotechnology in nature, it means much more than just these.
As has been demonstrated in recent decades, biotechnology has the capacity to increase the production, efficiency, and quality of crops. Economic forces always act to increase efficiency and production for better supply of our needs and for the provision of more and high-quality foods. They remain the most dominant forces in the supply of goods. To respond to the needs, these economic forces always enhance the promotion of the levels of production and quality of farm produce. For these reasons, it is true that economic forces have the ability to increase efficiency and production.
Towards this regard, our needs for the demand for an increase in quantity and quality foods can then be effectively solved. Furthermore, the American president clearly put it “As technology and information are…in almost every job …America is becoming more productive, and workers need…“. It is open evidence from our surroundings that our world is indeed changing by the adoption and integration of science and technology. This in turn increases the levels of productivity of foods and other social needs. In addition to the growing need for plenty and higher quality foods, the trend of increasing applications of biotechnology in both crops for direct consumption and other uses indicates additional evidence that integration of technology is playing a very important part in the satisfaction of our needs. Thus, I remain convinced, by facts advanced by this long discussion, to think that biotechnology use is increasing because of our need for more acceptable quality foods.
In addition to the above, an increase in the trend of biotechnology use in food production is evident. This is demonstrated by the fact that over 60% of soybean crops that are mostly used as livestock feeds are genetically modified (GMO) and this trend is expected to not only rise but also to continue. In contrast, GMOs only account for 24% and 20% of maize and canola, respectively. These two crops are mainly used for human consumption. It is therefore surprising that, GMOs account for almost double the production of non-food product cotton, with a production average at about 46% in comparison to that of maize and canola. These statistics reflect that we tend to tolerate biological modifications in natural crops and non-consumed products while widely reducing and limiting modifications in consumed products for the interest of safety. This eventually indicates our tendency to abandon benefits that come along with the adoption of science and technology due to our preference for a safe approach to biotechnology use. Thus, it is convincing to deduce that the extent and degree of biotechnology use not only depends on but is also limited by our preferences for its use.
The role of biotechnology cannot be underestimated. Diseases such as SARS are capable of causing a tremendous fatality and mortality rates and have the capacity to spread widely in today’s world. This realization raises the need to accurately anticipate the outcomes of tragic events such as a SARS outbreak. In the case of SARS, biotechnology was appropriately used in direct response to this need. Analysis conducted with computer applications, mathematics, biology, and technology mainstreams that made use of biotechnology-based on past events predicted that fatality and mortality rates would have been relatively large. It informed biomedical communities of associated costs of SARS as wells as the critical needs and importance of responding effectively and rapidly. The case of SARS was a reflection that we are successfully using this new field to meet our critical needs and remain protected from natural harm.
In response to SARS, biotechnology was used by government agencies and think tanks all around the world to progressively research useful facts that include antibodies and genetic sequences that were central in the production of diagnostic tools, drugs for treatment, and vaccines. These formed the foundation of our ability to implement workable solutions capable of confronting and combating SARS. It, therefore, demonstrates that there is a need to seek this new applied science to confront the challenges in biomedical crisis and problems. Both early anticipation and our earnest attempts to combat SARS with biotechnology convinced me that biotechnology can be extensively used to meet the critical needs for our protection from natural harm.
However, biotechnology revealed its limitations when it failed to provide us with solutions before the conventional method of quarantine effectively brought an end to the SARS crisis. It is therefore sadly evident that with its large number of advantages, biotechnology is widely limited in its ability to solve problems, at least within a limited timeframe. As organisms, we evolve and survive on this planet by mere fate because nature cannot grant us food nor protect us from its harms in the form of diseases and illnesses. In light of this reality, food and protection (from natural harm) form our critical needs. Consequently, in response to these needs, there is a need to integrate biology and technology (biotechnology) and apply this gift to take care of these needs. One basic challenge that still remains in the adoption of biotechnology is that our application is limited by our preferences on “how to use it” and naturae limitations in biotechnology.