Branches of biotecnology

Green biotechnology is biotechnology applied to agricultural processes. An example would be the selection and domestication of plants via micropropagation. Another example is the designing of transgenic plants to grow under specific environmental conditions or in the presence (or absence) of certain agricultural chemicals. One hope is that green biotechnology might produce more environmentally friendly solutions than traditional industrial agriculture. An example of this is the engineering of a plant to express a pesticide, thereby eliminating the need for external application of pesticides. An example of this would be Bt corn. Whether or not green biotechnology products such as this are ultimately more environmentally friendly is atopic of considerable debate.

White biotechnology, also known as industrial biotechnology, is biotechnology applied to industrial processes. An example is the designing of an organism to produce a useful chemical. Another example is the using of enzymes as industrial catalysts to either produce valuable chemicals or destroy hazardous/polluting chemicals. White biotechnology tends to consume less in resources than traditional processes used to produce industrial goods.

Blue biotechnology is a term that has been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of biotechnology, but its use is relatively rare.

The investments and economic output of all of these types of applied biotechnologies form what has been described as the bioeconomy.

• Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field which addresses biological problems using computational techniques, and makes the rapid organization and analysis of-biological data possible. The field may also be referred to as computational biology, and can be defined as, "conceptualizing biology in terms of molecules and then applying informatics techniques to understand and organize the information associated with these molecules, on a large scale. Bioinformatics plays a key role in various areas, such as functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics, and forms a key component in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. Medicine In medicine, modern biotechnology finds promising applications in such areas as

pharmacogenomics;

drug production;

genetic testing;

and gene therapy.

Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how the genetic inheritance of an individual affects his/her body's response to drugs. It is a coined word derived from the words "pharmacology" and "genomics". It is hence the study of the relationship between pharmaceuticals and genetics. The vision of pharmacogenomics is to be able to design and produce drugs that are adapted to each person's genetic makeup.

Cell factories

The primary objective of research on Cell Factories is to reach a better understanding of how living cells manage to be productive, and how industry can use these cellular processes to further design and operate safe, efficient, reproducible and sustainable bioprocesses.

The concept of Cell Factories is based on two complementary elements: an integrative vision of the workings of cell factories, and the participation of intertwined academic and industrial laboratories in task-oriented research.

To date, work on living cells has essentially been approached from an academic viewpoint. It is now considered advisable to make a gradual switch from the academically and discipline-oriented approach towards a more inclusive approach encompassing all steps through which bioprocesses may yield or convert selected molecules. Insufficiently explored interfaces between biotechnology and other advanced technologies are offering new opportunities for the successful integration of biology with other scientific and technological fields.

Two large groups of compounds produced by living cells require attention. They include the low molecular weight products (antibiotics, small peptides, pharmaceuticals, flavours, etc.) and the high molecular weight products (enzymes, recombinant and/or heterologous proteins, antibodies and parts thereof; vaccines, polysaccharides, etc.). It should be noted that Cell Factories used in open systems, e.g. in the environment, should be considered in this programme under Area 7 (below). The safety of bioprocesses, vector systems, cell lines and microbial cultures, and the assessment of the environmental impact will be important considerations of any project selected under this area.