APPLICATIONS/ROLE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

In all aspects of life, you benefit from the works of biotech whose benefits can be discussed under the following branches of biotech;

1. Agricultural/Green Biotech

Crops do not naturally have all the traits(characteristics) a farmer needs, genetic engineering modifies crops by adding particular beneficial traits  making them genetically modified organisms(GMOs), crops in particular.

These transgenic crops have the following advantages over the usual crops;

• Drought resistant
• Pest and disease resistant
• Fast yielding
• Greater yields
• Use more carbon dioxide this cleaning the air

2. Environmental/Blue Biotech

Micro organisms are used to degrade and process wastes.

With the advantages of GMOs listed above, pesticide and herbicide application is minimised.

These mean that the environment is saved from having so many chemicals.

3. Medical/Red Biotech

People react to medicine differently due to the difference in genotype(a sequence that determines an organism's characteristics). Biotech ensures that Incase a particular medicine is not working for you, an appropriate one is designed through pharmacogenomics to increase efficiency when adminstered to a patient.

Before 1978, insulin(hormone that reduces sugar level in blood) was extracted from pigs' pancreas and injected into humans, disgusting??? yes, thanks to biotech, insulin is now manufactured on large scale and it's cheaper to treat diabetes now than then.

You doubt if that child is yours or not?? don't accuse all of your friends and neighbors, a DNA test can be run to confirm who the true biological parent is, it's about biotech. 

Detection and treatment of genetic diseases/disorders, the most common being sickle cell anemia.

Antibiotics are also manufuctered by application of biotech.

4. Industrial/White biotech

Here, micro organisms have been used for industrial benefits, manufacturing products such as beer, food and chemicals.

A process, fermentation is one of the earliest biotech application since it involves use of life to make products.

Another important biotech application is biogas production, the safe energy source.

Looking at the current situation, people starving, malnutritioned yet they do farming.

Believe me with this global warming, climate change, the crops we are growing need to be modernised to cope up with the changes in climate.

Why suffer with hunger now because you fear the future effects of GMOs, you will not make it there.

Embrace Biotechnology.

Daka Anthony

Makerere University Kampala

+256756484679

dakaanthony84@gmail.com