New trends in biotechnology
H.M.T.S.K.Herath, Grade 6E, Ku/ Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya
What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is a technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or their parts to develop, create or make various products. It is based on biology and can be considered a branch of biology. The three primary sectors of biotechnology according to MassChallenge, Inc, Feb 2022 are as followings,
1. Biotech in Medicine- Pharmaceuticals, therapies, genetics and clinical studies 
2. Biotech in Industry –The energy and manufacturing sectors
3. Biotech in Agriculture – Sustainable farming, cultivating insect resistant crops
As we step into 2024, the biotechnology industry has become rapid advancements in technology and market dynamics. As the web resources (https://www.labiotech.eu/in-depth/biotech-trends-2024/) mentioned,
following sectors are introduced as new trends in biotechnology.
- AI (Artificial Intelligence) reshaping biotech: A key trend for 2024 AI applications for the biopharma sector, for drug and protein discovery
- RNA technology sophistication /RNA-based therapies
- Venkata Shravan K. Indurthi, chief scientific officer (CSO) at Aldevron, is anticipating RNA technologies to become more complex and sophisticated and is looking forward to seeing more developments in treatments for diseases such as HIV, and various cancers
- The CRISPR sector (Gene editing) – CRISPR (short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”) is a technology that research scientists use to selectively modify the DNA of living organisms
- Bioprinting and tissue engineering- the practical application of bio printed organs might still be a future goal
- Stem cell research
The future of biotech is not just about technological advancements, but also about how these technologies are integrated responsibly and ethically into our healthcare systems to create a healthier, more sustainable world. These biotech trends will make 2024 an interesting year.
