Today, the biotech field is experiencing a surge of innovations in a variety of industries. These innovations are likely to exponentially impact the world around us in the years to come, and a lot of these innovations are already doing so.
From sustainable agriculture to improved healthcare and medicine, here are all the most recent innovations in biotech engineering.
Biotech Innovations in Medicine
In medicine, biotech applications include pharmaceuticals, genetics, and clinical research. You’re probably already familiar with several of the most recent biotech innovations in healthcare. The most recognized recent innovation is mRNA vaccines.
mRNA Vaccines
mRNA vaccines, and specifically, the development of vaccines, were one the most relevant biotech innovations of the past two years. Not only was a vaccine developed at record speeds, but mRNA vaccines open to the door to a variety of other vaccine developments.
Traditional vaccines contain dead or weakened bacteria or viruses to trigger an immune response. Messenger RNA vaccines deliver information about virus's proteins to cells so that they can quickly create blueprints for making those proteins, providing stronger protection from infectious diseases. Both Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccines used biotech research from Dr. Katalin Karikó to develop their mRNA vaccines that replicated SARS-CoV’s spike protein.
Now, mRNA-based vaccines are being developed for a wide range of diseases such as HIV, influenza, malaria, hepatitis C, and more.
Biosensors
Biosensors have the potential to transform how medical conditions are diagnosed, and how they’re treated. Biosensors provide medical professionals with a tool that quickly detects infection of diseases at early stages, as well as tracks how a person’s body is responding to their treatment.
Biosensors provide invaluable data to physicians that allows them to modify a patient’s care plan according to their unique needs — an asset that’s especially helpful for patients managing chronic illnesses. Biosensors are important components of delivering personalized care that focuses on a person’s entire healthcare journey.
In addition, biosensors are easily scalable to meet the growing needs of a hospital or clinic and can help these facilities operate more efficiently thanks to improved diagnostic accuracy.
Biotech Innovations in Agriculture
In agriculture, biotech is at the center of environmentally sustainable farming practices. Biotech helps crops improve resistance to insects, as well as helps produce greater yields with fewer resources. Biotech accomplishes this by modifying existing microorganisms.
As a global industry, agricultural biotech is anticipated to grow into a $25.30 billion market by 2025.
Genetically Modified Crops
To genetically modify a specific crop, genes from different organisms are introduced to the DNA sequence of the crop. Genetically modified crops are more resilient to environmental factors like drought, pests, and disease. This helps promote sustainable farming by cutting down on both costs and resources needed to produce yields and allows the optimization of food crops.
Biofuels
Biofuels are an upcoming biotech innovation. Corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugarcane can be processed into renewable fuels that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide more options for fuel sources. Additionally, since crops used for biofuel such as algae can be grown on wastewater or by using arable land, these crops don’t take away resources from food supplies.
And, as biofuel continues to develop, it may help lower the cost of both petroleum-based fuel products while also increasing accessibility to fuel.
Bothwell Engineering: Biotech Engineers Prepared to Make Your Project a Success
Whether you need an expert with knowledge of current industry regulations or help managing projects, Bothwell Engineering offers biotech engineering services that can help your manufacturing or startup project be a success.
We can provide your facility with the team of industry experts you need to take your project from development to commissioning, and are committed to providing a solution that meets your unique needs.
Get in touch with us today to learn more.
