Biotechnology

We trace ourselves through the history of the Universe as a continuously evolving specie, intelligent and creative, but no bigger than a cell under a microscope against the vast imperium of galaxies. We could have evolved from a "soup" of non-living cells and chemical elements, we could just be a growing disease or we could be a simple code in a huge matrix, either way, we are tiny. But as "intelligent" as we are, we discovered that the Universe tends to self replicate by design deep into the cellular level and Microbiology was born. Afterwards, our "creative" trait helped us become demigods. We tweaked the cells, we edited genes, we rewrote the code and we have applied it in many fields we thought they needed fixing; and we called it Biotechnology.

Etymologically it transliterates as "the study of techniques of life" (gr. bios = life, tehnikos = technique and logos = study), but by definition it means "the technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or parts of this to develop or create different products." (https://www.ntnu.edu/ibt/about-us/what-is-biotechnology)

It only started as a simple breeding process in farming and agriculture, but nowadays, Biotechnology is exploited in numerous industries, for better profits, better products and for a better and more sustainable life. Sometimes, life itself depends on it..

IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation has become a very popular method for helping couples to have babies when one or both partners were presented with infertility diagnosis. When studying genomes, doctors discovered that they could predict malformations and chronicle diseases of a foetus. The latest gene editing technique, CRISPR, have made it possible for scientists to even repair the "bad" genes.
As previously mentioned, Biotechnology emerged in the food industry when farmers used graftage for better quality and more diverse crops. In our times, the application of biotech in agriculture refers to a literally deeper intervention, on a nanoscale, giving us the GMO's, Genetically Modified Organisms. Products containing GMO's have raised massive controversies all around the world, especially because of their unnatural characteristics. But scientists claim that, though the process disrupts what Mother Earth intended, they are only used to make food more accessible, with less allergens and more nutritious.

With so many efforts made towards keeping the planet's population well fed, the industry seems not able to keeping up with the demand. It is predicted that by 2050 the masses will total of 9 billion people. An era of scarcity is only around the corner. Based on this fact, companies around the world have already made large investments into research to find alternative sources for food and launch new, this time, whole synthetic products. Again, Biotechnology jumps into picture and becomes the main player.
In 1931, still long before technology was even available, Winston Churchill said: "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultured_meat)

Now, nearly a century later, we have big synthetic food producers, following the same steps that Biotech offers to other industries, and even distributors in this field. In their run to leading the global market, it is definitely the financial mirage that triggers the competition, but hopefully this will make an increase on the quality standards side of their business too. If "quality" could really ever be an adjective next to "unnatural".

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