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Co to jest biotechnologia? 1

In its purest form, the lenn "biotechnology" refers to the useoflming organisms or their products to modify hummi health and the human emiranment.

Co to Jest biotechnologia? 2

■    What Is Biotechnology?

■    Break biotechnology into its root words and you have

■    • blo — the use of biological processes; and

■    • technology — to solve problems or make useful products.

■    Using biological processes is hardly a noteworthy event. We began growing crops and raising animals 10,000 years ago to provide a stable supply ot food and clothing. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for 6,000 years to make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to preserve dalry products. Why is biotechnology suddenly receMng so much attentlon?

■    Durlng the 1960s and 70s our understanding of blology reached a point where we could begln to use the smallest parts of organisms—their cells and biological molecules—In additlon to using whole organisms.

■    A morę approprlate definitlon In the new sense of the word Is thls:

■    • “New" Biotechnology — the use of cellular and blomolecular processes to solve problems or make products.

■    We can get a better handle on the meaning of the word biotechnology by simply changing the slngular noun to Its piural form, blotechnologles. Biotechnology is a collectlon of technologies that capitalize on the attributes of cells, such as their manufacturlng capabllltles, and put biological molecules, such as DNA and protelns, to work for us.

Od kiedy istnieje biotechnologia?

■ Discovery of the fermentation process allowed early peoples to produce foods by allowing live organisms to act on other ingredients. But our ancestors also found that, by manipulating the conditions under which the fermentation took place, they could improve both the quality and the yield of the ingredients themselves.

Biotech Industry Statistics 2

■    • There are 1,457 biotechnology companles In the United States, of which 342 are publicly held.

■    • Market capltallzatlon, the total value of publicly traded biotech companies at market prices, was $206 billion as of mid-April 2003.

■    • The biotechnology industry has mushroomed sińce 1992, with revenues increasing from $8 billion in 1992 to $34.8 billion in 2001.

■    • The U.S. biotechnology industry currently employs 191,000 people; thafs morę than all the people employed by the toy and sporting goods industries.

■    • Biotechnology is one of the most research-lntensive industries in the world. The U.S. biotech industry spent $15.7 billion on research and development in 2001.

■    • The top five biotech companies spent an average of $133,600 per employee on R&D in 2001.

■    • The biotech industry is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Prołection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Społeczne i prawne aspekty rozwoju biotechnologii

■    Biotechnologia początku XXI wieku:

■    ogromny postęp w badaniach naukowych

■    wytworzenie licznych, innowacyjnych produktów, technologii i usług

■    coraz bardziej zaawansowane badania przedmiotem aktywnej i burzliwej debaty społecznej

■    zastosowania biotechnologii: produkcja leków, liczne procesy przemysłowe, rolnictwo budzi kontrowersje społeczeństwa, które nieświadome zalet płynących z wykorzystania zaawansowanych biotechnologii, doszukuje się groźnych dla zdrowia i życia konsekwencji.

■    debata o biotechnologii: dotyczyła i nadal dotyczy głównie zagrożeń, wynikających z jej rozwoju. Zdobycie zaufania społecznego wymaga czasu i bardzo intensywnych działań twórców i propagatorów postępu biotechnologicznego.