Biotechnology

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Biotechnology

• Improving Our Lives with

Chuck Hages
Jace Martin
Chris Mundo
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Biotechnology Intro

• Biotechnology is any technological application
  that uses biological systems, living organisms,
  or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
  products or processes for specific use.
• The three main areas affected by biotechnology
  are Medical, Agricultural, and Industrial
  Systems.

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Effects of Biotechnology

• Biotechnology affects every part of our lives in
  the 21st Century including

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Medical Field

• Antibiotics and Vaccines
• In fifty-one million physician visits in the
  United States, 55 to 66 of the patients
  diagnosed are prescribed antibiotics to easily
  eliminate bacterial infections that before could
  have even claimed their lives.
• Vaccines have also made an important effort in
  helping to cure disease epidemics

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Medical Field

• Human Genetics
• Stem Cell Research
• Stem cell research has proven potential to help
  the over 10 million people with osteoporosis, 43
  million arthritis sufferers, and 250,000 people
  paralyzed by spinal cord injuries.
• Genetic Diseases

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Social Impact

• Moral and Ethical Controversies associated with
  the medical aspects of Biotechnology
• Stem Cell Research and Gene Therapy

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Agriculture

• Single largest influence on farming since the
  cultivator
• Been around since bread could rise.
• Today, there are over 200 million acres of crops
  in over 17 countries that have been improved by
  biotechnology.

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Agriculture

• How does it help?
• Increased yields per plant
• Increased resiliency to chemicals such as
  pesticides
• Easier to grow
• Economic gains for farmers
• Ending world hunger

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Social Impact

• Moral and Ethical Controversies
• Unsafe Food?
• FALSE

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Industry

• Helping the Environment
• burn cleaner
• made less toxic
• biodegradable
• recyclable
• low to zero greenhouse gas emissions

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Industry

• Plastics
• Made from Biomass
• Biomass Fuels
• Biodeisel and Bioethenol
• potential to produce over 1.3 billion tons of
  biomass in the U.S. which would increase our
  current fuel production by 40 fold to over 165
  billion gallons of biofuel a year
• Biorefineries
• Lower emissions

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Industry

• Economical Benefits
• Cheaper Production
• Government Incentives

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Conclusion

• Biotechnology has grown more in the last 10
  years than almost any other field of science.
  This growth is due to the fact that it has helped
  benefit virtually every aspect of our lives. Its
  benefits may potentially one day be able to reach
  out to help virtually any person, in any
  profession, in a positive way. Although there
  are some clear concerns with the different
  aspects of biotechnology, government regulations
  have helped make sure that the technologies we
  use are safe and have constructive affects on us
  and our environment. With these strict
  government regulations in mind, it should be no
  question that the positive benefits we gain from
  biotechnology far outweigh any moral and social
  implications.