During the workshop, we posed the question "What is Biotechnology?"
Here are the definitions from the participants:
 | Advancement of technology to alter/utilize life science AND advancing life to meet/accomplish our goals-- health, food, disease, etc. |
| Use of scientific knowledge to solve current problems. |
| Applied biochemistry. |
| Industrialized study of living systems for man's benefit and progress. |
| Application of scientific techniques, the manipulation of biological material (i.e., DNA, bacterial and eukaryotic cells, viruses) to benefit society. |
Here is the definition I gave you , plus the MA statement on biotechnology from the MA standards:
| The use of cellular and biomolecular processes to solve problems or make useful products |
•BIO
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) (there is
also a link to a movie about biotechnology in general on the bottom of
this homepage)
| Statement from the MA standards: |
•
Biotechnology is a rapidly expanding field of biology that uses a growing
set of techniques to derive valuable products from organisms and their
cells. Biotechnology is already commonly used to identify potential suspects
or exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes, determine paternity,
diagnose diseases, make high-yield pest-resistant crops, and treat genetic
ailments. Educators should recognize the importance of introducing students
to biotechnology so that they may better understand the molecular basis of
heredity and critically evaluate the benefits and risks of this technology.