Biotechnology and its impact on today's Scientist Karl Ereky have foreseen a

and tomorrow's world time when biology could be used for

turning raw materials into useful
Biotechnology is not a new discipline, products. Thus, he coined the
but it is advancing by leaps and bounds term biotechnology to describe the
and it has more and more applications integration of biology with technology.
in our day-to-day lives: from
pharmaceutical development to food • At present, the endeavor of
production and the treatment of
polluting waste. We explore this continuing genetic research is
exciting field below and try to fueled by the desire of man to
determine how far it might go in the
develop medical practices that
future.
can alleviate the suffering
What is biotechnology
associated with human diseases.
• branch of biology that harnesses Many questions on different
cellular and biomolecular
processes to develop technologies biological phenomena remain
and products that help enrich our unanswered, so quests continue.
lives and the well-being of our
planet.
Types of biotechnology by color,
• uses living cells to develop or according to their area of research
manipulate products for specific
purposes, such as genetically The different types of biotechnology
modified foods. are grouped into colors, according to

• linked to genetic engineering and the area of research:

emerged as a field in its own
right at the beginning of the 20th Red biotechnology: refers to the health
century in the food industry, branch, whose aim is to develop
other sectors later joined which
such as medicine and the vaccines, drugs, regenerative
environment. medicine, gene therapy, and new
analysis and diagnosis techniques.
• Biotechnology is the new magic of
the 21st century. Some of the
biotech techniques include Green biotechnology: applied to
nanotechnology and tissue processes from the agricultural
engineering which provide new
sector to nourish crops, protect
cancer treatments, assist in
water security and are slowly them from extreme weather events,
becoming crucial in sustainable and combat pests.
industrial development
White biotechnology: linked to the
industrial sector. It studies the
manufacturing and development
processes of biofuels so that
industry is more sustainable and
efficient.

Yellow biotechnology: researches

the production of foods to reduce
saturated fat levels, modify calorie
intakes, or supplement vitamins.

Brown biotechnology: focuses on the

treatment of arid and desert soils
by studying species that are highly
resistant to saline and dry soils.

Blue biotechnology: studies all the

processes related to the seas and
oceans to obtain cosmetic, health,
or aquaculture products.
Gray biotechnology: focuses on the Biotechnology is a strong ally for
preservation and recovery of natural the energy transition, since it can be
ecosystems that have been altered by used to generate renewable fuels as
contaminants. well as reduce dependency on fossil
fuels.
Gold biotechnology: related to
bioinformatics. It is tasked with
the analysis of data in biological Improves the nutrition of the
processes (DNA sequences, amino population
acids, etc.). It makes it possible to introduce
Black biotechnology: linked with additional vitamins and proteins into
bioterrorism and biological wars. different food groups. Furthermore, it
Virulent microorganisms that could also makes it possible grow foods in
become biological weapons or that extreme weather c
counteract their harmful effects are Its major risks include:
researched.
• The proliferation of
Orange biotechnology: disseminates laboratory foods could end
interesting information about crop diversity. It may also
affect the balance of
biotechnology to attract future ecosystems.
scientists.
• The risks include unforeseen
Purple biotechnology: studies all allergies, poisoning of
legal aspects related to living organisms, and
modified bacteria escaping
biotechnology (safety measures, data from a laboratory.
protection, patents, etc.).
• Cloning, the modification of
Advantages of biotechnology in society the human genome, and assisted
reproduction are matters of
Biotechnology has a positive and direct ethical debate and social
impact on people's lives, as it offers controversy.

specific solutions in different areas

of action. Some of the advantages of
biotechnology are:

Reduces environmental pollution

Biotechnological processes operate in
water and under very mild conditions,
reducing the use of natural resources,
as well as the use of polluting
substances or other chemicals.

Improves people’s health

The diagnosis of patients is improved,
while drugs, treatments, and vaccines
are developed to perform better and
reduce side effects.

Offers sustainable energy alternatives