Biotechnology: A Research Career with Unlimited Growth Potential
Biotechnology, as the name suggests, is a combination of biology and technology. Biotechnology is a fusion of Biological Sciences with engineering technologies to manipulate living organisms and biological systems. The Spinks Report (1980) defined biotechnology as “applying biological organisms, systems or processes to the manufacturing and service industries.” The application of Biotechnology is immense as it caters to different industrial sectors like food, textiles, pharmaceutical, agriculture, healthcare and nutrition, animal husbandry, and many more.
Biotechnology plays a crucial role in everyday lives. Without even being aware of it, we are using numerous biotechnological innovations right now. The clothes we wear, the delicacies we eat, to the drugs we take are all contributions of biotechnology. Biotechnology applies in any field where humankind uses technology. From space research (plant-based food essentials in space) to the automobile industry (biofuel), to dealing with global emergencies like climate crisis, food scarcity to the energy crisis, biotechnology spearheads the fight against these concerns.
The potential areas of Biotechnology research are so tremendous and overwhelming that it is not possible to make a comprehensive list. Further, new areas of research emerge continuously. Here, we look at various areas within the discipline of biotechnology and the scope for research that these areas possess:
Medical Biotechnology
Medical Biotechnology is the application of biotechnology in the field of the healthcare sector. Biotechnology has helped the healthcare sector by providing it with diagnostic kits, vaccines, drugs, and medical machinery. It has helped create precise tools for dise,ase detection, reduced the rates of infectious diseases, combat serious illness, and save millions of lives every year.
Medical Biotechnology has excellent scope for research. Students can go for research and development (R&D) in areas such as molecular oncology, immunology, and immune-related diseases, and genetic diseases and find job opportunities in various institutions like pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic centers, hospitals, etc.
Food Biotechnology
Food biotechnology refers to the use of technology in modifying the genes of varied food sources. Food biotechnology helps us to overcome the difficulties in food production, food processing, and food preservation. With food biotechnology, we take the help of science and genetics to improve the food we eat. It can mean making it cheaper to produce, longer-lasting, disease-resistant, or more nutritional. The research areas in this field are tremendous; students can research areas such as cell engineering, cloning, and genetic engineering. They can find employment as Food Technologist, Quality Manager, Product Development Scientist and so on.
Plant Biotechnology
Plant biotechnology refers to the introduction of desirable traits into efficient plants through genetic modification. The agriculture sector, in present times, has been dealing with several issues like low crop yield, infestation, crop quality deterioration, loss of soil fertility, biotic and abiotic stress, etc. Plant biotechnology in the form of Genetically Modified Crops (GMC) has helped develop abiotic stress-resistant, biotic stress-resistant crops, and improved crop quality. Students can go for research and development (R&D) in areas like molecular biology, plant tissue culture, genomics, etc. They can find employment as Genomics Technician, Molecular Biology Technician, and Plant Tissue Culture Technician.
Environmental Biotechnology
The International Society for Environmental Biotechnology defines environmental biotechnology as “it is the development, use and immediate regulation of biological systems to remediate contaminated environments (land, air, water), and for the environment-friendly processes (green manufacturing technologies and sustainable development).” This area of biotechnology aims to restore the balance between nature, ecology, and human interest. It addresses critical environmental issues like waste management of plastic, oil spills, and accumulation of heavy metals in natural resources.
In environmental biotechnology, research and development (R&D) focus on effective bioremediation options, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation that help to restore degraded ecosystems. Students can find employment as Environmental Scientist, Sustainability Specialist, and Agriculture Engineer.
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics refers to the application of computer technology in acquiring information stored in specific types of biological data. The objective of Bioinformatics is to convert a multitude of complex data into useful information. It provides globally accessible databases that enable scientists to submit, examine, and analyze information.
Research and development (R&D) work in informatics includes genetics and genomics, molecular docking, sequence analysis and alignment, and molecular modeling. Students can find employment as Bio Analysts, Data Scientists, Informatics Developer, and Bioinformatics Researcher.
Biotechnology as an academic pursuit has to gain momentum and is growing exponentially. It has been providing millions of jobs across the world. The discipline has unlimited research potential. To reach its full potential, it needs experienced personnel with technical know-how. Therefore, the need is to invest in human resources and the expertise required to run this emerging and extraordinary discipline. And it is the scientists and academic researchers who will act as a pillar in the advancement of this field of st
