Biotech companies make products that are beneficial to humans, such as medicines and treatments that can help save lives, boost yields on farms, and create green fuels and chemicals. Bioinformatics is another area which involves the study of biological information and processes and can be applied to many different industries.
Biotech has its roots in the early 1970s when the technology of recombinant DNA (genetic engineering) was developed and patented. This technique lets scientists splice genes in cells that then begin to produce valuable protein molecules.
Today, a majority of pharmaceutical companies have active target discovery research programs that are heavily reliant on biotechnology. There are also small-scale startups that utilize unique proprietary techniques to develop therapeutic drugs.
Companies that concentrate on agrobiology cosmetics, the environmental and food technologies nutraceuticals, industrial biotechnology, in addition to veterinary medicine, are also looking at other biotechnology applications. Fully integrated Pharma companies are large commercial enterprises that research and produce, as well as sell generic or brand-name medicines.
Biotech is going through a transformation due to the development of new technologies. Companies are now able to validate their products against conditions that have understood mechanisms, such as sickle cell anemia. They can also reach more patients. Some companies are trying to develop novel therapies for diseases that haven’t been treated, like Duchenne muscle dystrophy.