Interesting Facts from History of Biotechnology

Biotechnology has been around for hundreds of years, and biomedical biotechnology was first used in the year 500 B.C. when the ancient Chinese discovered that moldy soybean curds could treat boils, because of the antibacterial action of the mold. The impact of biotechnology has only gotten bigger through the years, and these fields are exploding today. With an aging population that is steadily growing, and medical expenses continuously rising, biotechnology pharmaceutical companies are the cutting edge of biomedical biotechnology. Just like the history of biotechnology has shown, advancements in these fields lead to populations which are healthier and treatments and cures for many diseases that abound today.

The history of biochemistry is first noted in the year 1750 B.C. when the ancient Sumerians brewed the first batch of beer using yeast and other microorganism. This field has become increasingly important in modern medicine, and gene therapy and other methods that would have been considered science fiction decades ago are now becoming fact. Up until the middle of the eighteen hundreds, biotechnology consisted of hit and miss. In 1797 the first vaccine was given for small pox by a doctor named Jenner, and the vaccine was given to a child. Today smallpox has been eradicated, and exists only in laboratories. The last case in the US was in 1949, and the last known case in the world occurred in Africa in the year 1977. Smallpox is a giant victory for biomedical biotechnology, because the World Health Organization has declared the disease wiped out, and this is the first time in history that man has wiped out a disease. In the year 1855, the E. Coli bacteria was discovered, the same one that is responsible for outbreaks in the US every year. This same year Pasteur started proving his theory that yeast are living organisms.

Biotechnology pharmaceutical companies may hold the future of medical science in their hands. New diseases are appearing frequently, and biotechnology offers ways to detect and treat diseases. The humane genome has been mapped out, and medical science is looking to genes to move to the next step. Biotechnology is crucial to this process. In 1997, Dolly was created. She was the first cloned mammal ever, and she was an instant star and source of controversy.

Biomedical technology has come a long way since 500 B.C., and with further advances this technology holds the key to even more cures and treatments. The impact of biotechnology can be seen all around us, with life spans that are much longer, and cures for diseases that were fatal even fifty years ago. Biotechnology pharmaceutical companies play a critical role in advancement for this technology. These companies look to the future by using biotechnology to solve the problems of today. Just in the last one hundred years biomedical biotechnology has moved forward significantly. With all the possibilities and opportunities that microbes offer, as well as all the threats they pose, biotechnology is the key that can keep these threats under control while using them to the advantage of mankind and the earth.

Many industries rely on biotechnology. Medical science, agriculture, even oil drilling. The Exxon Valdez oil spill was cleaned up by microbes, as well as a lot of human help. In 2000, the bacteria that is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis was fully mapped, identifying the DNA and the more than two million base pairs for the bacteria. Using biomedical biotechnology, this has lead to a vaccine against this bacteria. Biotechnology pharmaceutical companies are the wave of the future, and investments in these companies is popular because of their enormous potential, as well as what they are doing to advance all industries, including medical science.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.