Historically man has been using biotechnology applications for thousands of years, but the field has changed enormously in the last few centuries. What are modern biotechnologies, and how has the field evolved since ancient times?
Biotechnology is more than genetic manipulation: in addition to work in human health and medicine, the field encompasses agriculture, bioremediation, and other disciplines.
The development of new techniques in molecular biology has allowed for increasingly sophisticated methods of developing pharmaceuticals, such as pharmacogenomics, which uses principles of human genetics and rational drug design to produce more effective drugs with fewer harmful side effects.
Genetics is perhaps the most well-known field in biotechnology. From gene therapy, a novel but still-experimental method of treating cancers and genetic diseases, to genetic testing, a field which is not without controversy, this field of biotechnology has much to offer.
Proteins interact with other macromolecules, including other proteins. Among such interactions is replication. Protein interactions at cellular walls engaging other molecules must be limited, transient—allowing disengagement upon task completion. Cellular adhesion molecules (CAM) assist in this.
Biophysics is the melding of a variety of sciences, most notably physics, chemistry and mathematics, for the purpose of evaluating complex biological problems such as those involving macromolecular structure and interactions.
