6 Types of Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a vast field of study that has benefited almost every facet of human life. All biotech startups use plants, animals and other living things for manufacturing, medicine, food, environmental preservation and many other purposes. Biotechnology has not only improved our daily lives but also created tens of thousands of jobs. Areas of biotech research are differentiated by color.

Green

Green Biotech is essentially about manipulating the genes of plants. This is used to increase the yields of crops or make them more resistant to pests and diseases. Farmers have long employed these methods without knowing it when they planted only the seeds from successful plants or combined different plants to generate better results. Scientists can add extra genes to plant DNA from the same plant or splice in genes for desirable traits from separate plants. Green Biotech procedures can make the roots of plants stronger and can make crops more nutritious. Changing plant DNA can even make some plants synthesize pesticides. Insects that do not harm crops can be genetically engineered to hunt down pests.

Red

The medical side of biotechnology is Red Biotech. Many scientists study animal and human DNA to determine which genes are at fault for diseases and disorders. They apply this research to make more advanced medications. There are also many other applications for Red Biotech such as developing new vaccines and directly changing DNA to remove genes that cause illness.

Blue

Blue Biotech has to do with organisms in the ocean. This area of research has led to new medical treatments and it has had success in many other spheres as well. Studying the DNA of ocean life has allowed experts to preserve endangered species. Scientists have discovered types of sea life that consume oil and naturally reduce pollution. Blue Biotech has also led to innovations in ocean-related industries.

Yellow

While perhaps not as important as the other types of biotech, Yellow Biotech is easily the most fun. Yellow Biotech concerns shaping the DNA organisms to improve the production of food. This has allowed those who utilize fermentation in food production to make better beer and wine. Yellow Biotech can even remove parts of food that are common allergy triggers.

White

Making industries more productive, safe and economical is the focus of White Biotech. Many of the supplies that are vital to manufacturing are finite, such as different kinds of fuel. Materials like plastic contribute to pollution. Extracting metals needed for manufacturing has also polluted the environment, but White Biotech has found new ways to do this with microorganisms. White Biotech helps produce new materials and energy sources that are more environmentally-conscious.

Gray

Gray Biotech is somewhat related to White Biotech, with a larger focus on getting rid of pollution rather than just preventing it. Managing waste is an increasingly complicated and dangerous problem. Some industrial bioproducts cannot be safely destroyed by conventional means. As the human population continues to increase, better methods of disposing of human waste are necessary. Gray Biotech uses a wide variety of fungi, algae, bacteria and viruses to dispose of pollution and waste and even modify them into something beneficial.