The biotech industry encompasses companies whose products benefit people by treating diseases with life-saving treatments and drugs in addition to improving the yields of crops and generating environmentally friendly chemicals and fuels. It also encompasses bioinformatics, which is the study of biological processes and information and can be applied to various industries.
Biotech’s roots go back to the early 1970s when the technology of recombinant DNA (genetic engineering) was developed and patented. This technique lets scientists splice genes within production cells, which will then begin to produce important protein molecules.
Today, the majority of pharmaceutical companies have active target-discovery research programs that are heavily reliant on biotechnology. Small companies are also present in the field of biotechnology that employ proprietary methods to develop new therapeutic drugs.
Companies that specialize in agrobiology, cosmetics, the environmental food technology, nutraceuticals and industrial biotechnology, along with veterinary medicine, are looking at other biotechnology applications. Fully integrated Pharma companies are big commercial companies that study, produce and sell generic or brand name drugs and medicines.
Biotech is changing due to new technologies. Companies are now able to validate their systems for conditions that have known mechanisms, like sickle cell anemia, and reach larger patient populations. Some companies are even trying to design novel therapies which address unaddressed illnesses, like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable disease.