Marine Biotechnology is a relatively new field of study, having emerged in the past few years.  It began in 1998 when scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and various departments of the University of California, San Diego, came together and formed the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine.

The Specialty Marine Biotechnology is intended to host scientific contributions in marine science that are based on the enormous biodiversity of marine ecosystems and the genetic uniqueness of marine organisms to develop useful products and applications.

Animal biotechnology is a branch of biotechnology in which molecular biology techniques are used to genetically engineer animals in order to improve their suitability for pharmaceutical, agricultural or industrial applications. Many animals also help by serving as models of disease.  If an animal gets a disease that's similar to humans, we can use that animal to test treatments.  Animals are often used to help us understand how new drugs will work and whether or not they'll be safe for humans and effective in treating disease.

Medical biotechnology refers to a medicinal or diagnostic product or a vaccine that consists of or has been produced in living organisms and may be manufactured via recombinant. Medical Biotechnology  has a tremendous impact on meeting the needs of patients and their families as it not only encompasses medicines and diagnostics that are manufactured using a biotechnological process, but also gene and cell therapies and tissue engineered products.

Today, the majority of innovative medicines, whether manufactured using biotechnology or via a chemical synthesis like a traditional small molecule medicine, as well as many diagnostic products, are made available by applying modern biotechnology in their development and manufacturing.

Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. Computers are used to gather, store, analyze and integrate biological and genetic information which can then be applied to gene-based drug discovery and development. The need for Bioinformatics capabilities has been precipitated by the explosion of publicly available genomic information resulting from the Human Genome Project.

The science of Bioinformatics, which is the melding of molecular biology with computer science, is essential to the use of genomic information in understanding human diseases and in the identification of new molecular targets for drug discovery.

Industrial Biotechnology uses enzymes and micro-organisms to make biobased products in sectors such as chemicals, food and feed, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles and bioenergy (such as biofuels or biogas). In doing so, it uses renewable raw materials and is one of the most promising, innovative approaches towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The application of industrial biotechnology has been proven to make significant contributions towards mitigating the impacts of climate change in these and other sectors.

In addition to environmental benefits, biotechnology can improve industry’s performance and product value and, as the technology develops and matures, white biotechnology will yield more and more viable solutions for our environment. These innovative solutions bring added benefits for both our climate and our economy.

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is an increasingly important area of science and technology, and contributes to design and delivery of new therapeutic drugs, the development of diagnostic agents for medical tests, and the beginnings of gene therapy for correcting the medical symptoms of hereditary diseases. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is pioneering in the UK, providing a detailed insight into the technologies that allow the development and production of biopharmaceuticals that could lead to cures for most major diseases.

Agricultural biotechnology is a collection of scientific techniques used to improve plants, animals and microorganisms. Based on an understanding of DNA, scientists have developed solutions to increase agricultural productivity. Starting from the ability to identify genes that may confer advantages on certain crops, and the ability to work with such characteristics very precisely, biotechnology enhances breeders’ ability to make improvements in crops and livestock. Biotechnology enables improvements that are not possible with traditional crossing of related species alone.

Nano biotechnology refers to the intersection of nanotechnology and biology. Given that the subject is one that has only emerged very recently, Bio nanotechnology and Nano biotechnology serve as blanket terms for various related technologies. The most important objectives that are frequently found in Nano biology involve applying Nano tools to relevant medical/biological problems and refining these applications. Developing new tools, such as peptoid Nano-sheets, for medical and biological purposes is another primary objective in nanotechnology.

New Nano-tools are often made by refining the applications of the Nano-tools that are already being used. The imaging of native biomolecules, biological membranes, and tissues is also a major topic for the Nano-biology researchers. Other topics concerning Nano biology include the use of cantilever array sensors and the application of Nano-photonics for manipulating molecular processes in living cells.

Many biochemical companies such as National Pituitary Agency (U.S.A), GeneTech Co. (U.S.A), Biogen (Switzerland), E. Lilly (U.S.A) are involved in the production of biotechnological products using genetic engineering techniques. Many countries have developed collaborative networks and relationships on various aspects of biotechnology such as” International Cell Research Organization “(ICRO), “ Regional Microbiology Network for South-East Asia” (supported by Japan and UNESCO), Microbiological Resource Centers (MICRCENS, supported by UNESCO).

According to a NASSCOM-KPMG study, the R & D and biotech industry will reach a turnover of 5 billion dollars by 2015 and the bioinformatics market will reach $ 3 billion.

Genetic engineering is the process by which scientists modify the genome of an organism. Creation of genetically modified organisms requires recombinant DNA. Recombinant DNA is a combination of DNA from different organisms or different locations in a given genome that would not normally be found in nature.

In most cases, use of recombinant DNA means that you have added an extra gene to an organism to alter a trait or add a new trait. Some uses of genetic engineering include improving the nutritional quality of food, creating pest-resistant crops, and creating infection-resistant livestock.

Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks (including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health, and plant life and health, including associated environmental risk. Biosecurity covers the introduction of plant pests, animal pests and diseases, and zoonoses, the introduction and release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products, and the introduction and management of invasive alien species and genotypes.Biosecurity is a holistic concept of direct relevance to the sustainability of agriculture, food safety, and the protection of the environment, including biodiversity.

As far as the scope of biotechnology in India goes, you can safely say it is very limited. Now, biotechnology needed to expand to an extremely large level due to a low market demand and an extremely conservative society.  There is great need for biotechnologists in the current market scenario. Our goals are to increase public awareness and understanding of biotechnology, to inform educators of the resources and programs available locally and nationally, to become a resource center for biotechnology information, to coordinate training workshops for students and professionals, and to support biotechnology training and education locally, nationally, and internationally.

Biological treatment is an important and integral part of any wastewater treatment plant that treats wastewater from either municipality or industry having soluble organic impurities or a mix of the two types of wastewater sources. The obvious economic advantage, both in terms of capital investment and operating costs, of biological treatment over other treatment processes like chemical oxidation; thermal oxidation etc. has cemented its place in any integrated wastewater treatment plant.

The Biotech industry has been able to successfully position itself to capitalise on the unfolding global biologics opportunity by attracting talent with advanced technical skill-sets. The biotechnology sector is highly innovative and is on a high growth trajectory. The sector, with its immense growth potential, will continue to play a more significant role as an innovative manufacturing hub. The sector is one of the most significant sectors in enhancing global profile as well as contributing to the growth of the economy. This sector is directly or indirectly related to the health as well as the agricultural sector. According to the new report on the global Biotechnology market by Transparency Market Research, this market is estimated to observe substantial growth during the forecast period, i.e. between 2010 and 2017. Global recession in the past five years had shadowed the biotechnology market and had shunned its growth.

The biotechnology community in Asia has seen significant growth in recent years. By establishing itself in several key niche markets, the Asian biotech and pharma industries have thrived in the global biopharmaceutical market. Asia’s high standards for their life science educational systems have increased the level of growth and the quality of Asia’s workforce and broadened Asia’s reach within the world. With a dedication to innovation and research, Asia has established itself as a leader in biotechnology.

Biotechnology being an emerging industry, game-changing strategies and relevant application of the knowledge-intelligence resource pool, drive the process of growth. BioAsia seeks to enhance, enrich and encourage newer innovations, path-breaking discoveries and effective solutions in the industry by offering a vibrant global platform for convergence of the key stakeholders - Biotech & Biopharma Companies, research institutions, investors, service providers, policy makers, regulators and analysts.

The biotechnology community in Asia has seen significant growth in recent years. By establishing itself in several key niche markets, the Asian biotech and pharma industries have thrived in the global biopharmaceutical market. Asia’s high standards for their life science educational systems have increased the level of growth and the quality of Asia’s workforce and broadened Asia’s reach within the world. With a dedication to innovation and research, Asia has established itself as a leader in biotechnology

The biotechnology industry hauled in $2.3 billion worth of venture capital investments during the second quarter of this year—a 32% increase over the prior quarter, according to the newest MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), with data from Thomson Reuters. The 126 deals struck during the period marked the biggest quarterly investment in biotech since the MoneyTree report first came out in 1995, and it brought the total for the first half to $3.8 billion.