Biotechnology
The birth of modern biotechnolgoy could be traced to the delivery of human
insulin more than 20 years ago. Biotechnolgy is a new generation course. It is
the application of sciences like Physics and Chemistry and computational
mathematics on tehe life science called Biology. It focuses on the commercial
applications of organisms or their altered versions.
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The application of Biotechnolgy has
given mankind tastier and more healthier food, crops and plants that are immune
to many more diseases. Appllication of Industrial biotechnolgy has given us
clean processes during the manufacturing of textiles, chemicals, paper
etc.Applciation of environmental biotechnolgy has given us better processes in
waster management and pollution prevention
Quick.... Name the most famous biotechnology company in India. You should have
got it by now. It is Biocon. The name is synonymous with the advances in
biotechnolgy in India. The head of that compny, Ms . Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is
also in the news fro another reason - she is the richest Indian Woman. Now
before you associate riches and money with this industry, do remember that
biotechnology is a sunrise industry. It means that the potential of this field
has not yet been fully discovered. The industry is betting big on new
breakthroughs in biotechnology. But these breakthroughs will have to come
througn orignial research. Biocon started twenty years ago in a garage
supplying enzymes to select companies. Along the way, it hit big and now we
hear about it so often. At the international level, two famous companies in the
area of Biotechnology are Israel based Teva and Germany basd Sandoz.
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So here's a tough question. What does a biotechnologist do? Well that is indeed
a difficult one as the answer is not a clearly defined one. Different companies
have identified different focus areas for the application of sciences in
biology. Stretching it further, the human genome project is an application of
biotechnology. Let us for once, imagine a human being who is a conducter like
Zubin Mehta, a master batsman like Sachin Tendulkar and a master actor like
Amitabh Bachan. Seems impossible? Not to the biotechnologists who are working
on the genes. Like the saying goes "Its all in the genes". If we can isolate
the gene that conduct the philharmonic orchestra, time a McGrath delivery for a
perfect straigt drive and delivers the punch and presence in the personalities
mentioned above, extract these strands of the DNA and "implant" these in
another individual, we might actually have a possibility. For a start,this is
the dream called biotechnology.
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One of the most high profile
companies in India, Reliance Industries led by Mukesh Ambani has interests in
Biotechnology. Reliance Life Sciences, the closely held company of the Reliance
Group is focussing on what is known as "biosimilars". This means legal variants
of the drugs that are patented by other comapnuies. Regulatory hurldes is one
obstacle in the introducing of newer drugs. A human growth hormone made by
Sandoz was recently allowed to be introduced by the European Union and the US.
And closer home, Biocon has annouced the plans to lauch a wonder drug that
would tackle cancerous cells differently. Imagine - if there can be drugs that
will attack and kill cancerous growth in a new way, reducing the dependecny of
chemotherapy.... or extending it further , imagine a process that can do gene
splicing and kill the "cancerous intentions of cells" after it is identified...
This is the dream of biotechnology. Calling dreamers into this wonderful
area... But a word of caution..... It is all hard work, extreme long hours of
research and a mind that is wedded to the possibilties is a must have.
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One of the most frequently asked question is :- I don’t like
Mathematics / I do not like Biology. Can I take Biotechnology? The answer
should be obvious if you were to read the follwing word alound “BIOTECHNOLOGY”.
Remember . It is the application of sciences like Physics and Chemistry and
computational mathematics on tehe life science called Biology. If you still
want an explicit answer – here it is "NO".
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