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World War I and The Need for Zymotechnology
During WWI the need for materials increased drastically and raw resources were heavily valued. New innovations concerning zymotechnology were adopted for their use of turning organic materials into other chemicals that could before only be obtained through raw (non-renewable) resources. -
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Coining Biotechnology and Its Use in Medicine
In 1919 the term biotechnology was coined by Károly Ereky in Hungary as " The technology based on converting raw materials into a more useful product". As well as the discovery of penicillin in the 1940s, drugs were also made much cheaper by the semi-synthesis of cortisone. -
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Single Cell Protein and Gasohol Products
During the 1960s the national focus was on providing food to developing countries. The Discovery of single cell proteins (SCPs) seemed to provide a suitable answer to the lack of food and protein in many people's diet. Also, when oil prices skyrocketed in 1970s, the biotech industry introduced gasohol which consisted of 10% alcohol. Both of these products however, were rejected shortly after their start ups with SCPs for claims of being "unnatural" and the price of oil lowering again. -
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Genetic Engineering
With the discovering of the DNA double helix by Watson and Crick, along with the recombinant DNA transfer from bacteria, genetic engineering was born. With a new understanding of the human genome, diseases once a mystery were finally being located and the production of human proteins and enzymes became possible to be produced in different organisms such as E.coli. -
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Biotechnology as Industry
Since first being used as beer fermentation, biotechnology has progressed greatly saving hundreds of thousands to billions of lives since it's creation. Since the creation of GMOs, the number of GMO crops has risen to about 90% since its creation and thousands of biotechnology medical products are now approved to provide a safer, more efficient way to treat disease.