For the biotechnology industry, the future is now. Biotech companies are producing new and improved drugs, mapping the genome, and creating artificial organs and body parts. The advent of these new products will increase the quality of life for those who have access to them. Advancements in the biotechnology field have received a lot attention by the press and publications. They have given the impression that it is almost imperative to learn about this fairly new field of study.PurposeThe purpose of this document is to learn about the new and exciting developments in the biotech industry. Besides lives being effected, the companies and the markets in which they reside will be as well. Its vitally important to learn about the new technologies since there is a very good chance that millions of others, and mostly likely yours truly will ingest a new drug, or have a new procedure preformed. ScopeThe field of biotechnology is absolutely huge. There is the medical area and agriculture area of development. The agriculture area concentrates on developing hybrid crops and manipulating genes so that the plants natural defenses activate. Although this is interesting and has an effect on our lives, I have chosen to concentrate on the medical aspect of biotechnology. I have also decided not to comment on the ethics of the new developments, since I believe that the reader should decide for oneself. More specifically, the concentration will be on the Human Genome Project, artificial organs, and companies that are involved in the biotech industry. Biotech historyThere were many contributors to modern biotechnology but there are only a few that stand out. Louis Pasteurs work became the foundation microbiology and modern medicine. His biggest discovery was that germs cause most infectious diseases. (LExplorateur) After this discovery he changed hospital practices to minimize the spread of germs. He discovered that a weakened form of a microbe could...
