Recent Progress in Biotechnology

Biotechnology is an area of biology, which is concerned with the use of living systems, organisms or their derivatives for the development of products and processes for human benefit. Biotechnology has played a crucial role in advancing medicine, food production and agriculture. Practices such as the cultivation of plants, domestication of animals and improvements in either of these through designed breeding programs have been enabled by the use of biotechnology. In the modern day, microorganisms are being used for the manufacture of organic products, for bioleaching by the mining industry, for the treatment and recycling of wastes, and production of biological weapons. Modern biotechnology involves genetic engineering, cell and tissue culture technologies, applied immunology, recombinant gene techniques, etc. Biopharmaceuticals, genetic diagnosis of inherited diseases, genetically modified foods and crops, are some of the significant applications of the field. This book presents the complex subject of biotechnology in the most comprehensible and easy to understand language. The various advancements in this field are glanced at and their applications as well as ramifications are looked at in detail. This book includes contributions of experts and scientists which will provide innovative insights into this discipline.