 |
| Here's an easy way to remember the ways we use biotechnology. Think of them at
"The 5 Fs" - five broad categories, beginning with an [f] sound, of products from living microbes,
plants or animals: |
| Food - for humans and feed for livestock. |
| Fiber - cotton, wool, silk, linen, leather, lumber and paper. |
| Fuel - ethanol (gasohol), methane, wood. |
| Feedstocks - building blocks for polymers and industrial lubricants.
Microbes are also essential in treating wastewater and can be used to clean up oil and toxic chemical
spills., |
| Pharmaceuticals - diagnostics for detecting diseases or pathogens; vaccines
for preventing illness; antitoxins for blocking poisoning; antibiotics for fighting infections; and
therapeutics for treating disease.
Medical biotechnology also includes genetic testing and counseling for predicting susceptibility;
and gene therapy for correcting disorders caused by defective genes. |
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