2 How is biotechnology in the life sciences used today?

Products and processes of biotechnology are ubiquitous in today’s world and are improving the everyday lives of end-users globally. The results of innovation in biotechnology are being applied to develop medicines to treat diseases that were previously incurable or difficult to treat, and vaccines to prevent communicable diseases; to synthesize new forms of fuels to replace petrochemicals; to achieve high-yielding, environmentally adapted crops and livestock; and to provide environmentally friendly products.

In health, biotechnology is used to reduce rates of infectious disease through messenger RNA (mRNA) and DNA technologies and new target discoveries. It is also used to provide treatments for chronic diseases through the development of biological therapeutics, somatic cell and gene therapies, ⁽¹⁾With regard to genome editing in humans, it should be noted that there is a ban on germline intervention in humans in many countries, and scientists worldwide have spoken out in favor of such a ban. For example, a UNESCO panel of scientists, philosophers, lawyers and government ministers has called for a temporary ban on genetic “editing” of the human germline and for a wide public debate on genetic modification of human DNA (https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-panel-experts-calls-ban-editing-human-dna-avoid-unethical-tampering-hereditary-traits). A distinction should therefore be made between genome editing for germline intervention and somatic gene therapy which is widely accepted. and powerful new technologies such as CRISPR-Cas genome editing. In the context of personalized medicine, biotechnology can make a decisive contribution to tailoring treatments to individuals in a way that minimizes health risks and side effects. These technologies are also valuable in that they are more precise tools for disease detection. In short, biotechnology products are a new generation of products being used to combat serious illnesses or rare diseases and public health threats confronting the world.

Biotechnology has been used to develop many products that are now used daily. Through fermentation processes biotechnology harnesses biocatalysts such as enzymes, yeasts and other microbes to become microscopic manufacturing plants. Products like cleaning detergents are made using biotechnology. Enzymes and microbes are used to produce alcohol as well as biofuels. Chymosin, a naturally occurring enzyme, is used to improve the efficiency of cheese production.

Certain types of microbes found in soil or seawater store energy as a polymer polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The same microbes can break down PHA-based items and recycle them into food, eliminating plastic pollution even in landfills. Biobased plastics made from renewable resources such as sugarcane, soybean oil and corn are now available and cost-competitive, and many are biodegradable. Polyester, a synthetic polymer fiber historically made from fossil fuels and used to make clothing, blankets, carpets and other fabrics, can now be made by an engineered bacterium that ferments corn sugar into lactic acid which, when heated, creates a renewable polyester with improved ecofriendliness.

With a view to food production and global food security, biotechnology is being used to improve crop insect resistance, enhance crop herbicide tolerance and facilitate the use of more environmentally sustainable farming practices. Some of the food products of biotechnology include crops with enhanced nutrition profiles that solve vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, and foods free of allergens and toxins with improved oil content to improve cardiovascular health. In light of the pressures exerted on agricultural production by global climate change, agricultural biotechnologies also allow the development of climate-smart plant varieties and animal breeds with climate-resilient traits that can sustain global food security even during the anticipated increased impact of climate stresses on agriculture. Such climate-smart traits include increased drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, water efficiency, flooding tolerance and also resistance to climate-induced pests and diseases.

For the purposes of this Primer, however, red, or medical biotechnology will be the primary focus and will be used to illustrate the unique aspects of life science innovation in the technology transfer and commercialization process.