3 Fascinating Biotechnologies That Improve Quality Of Life

As Bill Nye always says: "science rules." As the world grows and develops, scientists are coming up with more discoveries and technologies, and nowhere is this more obvious, than in the biology field. Biotechnology has grown and expanded significantly over the past few decades, and in many ways that could directly impact your life.

You may be wondering what exactly constitutes as biotechnology. The term simply refers to any technology system that works with living organisms in order to improve or cultivate useful products. Every living thing is full of DNA that can be studied and manipulated to improve other living things. From stem cell research to sustainable farming, biotechnology is working to eliminate problem areas and improve all operating systems for living things. The goals are to take this research and help feed the world, combat serious illness, and improve overall hygiene, just to name a few. Beyond those, there are ways biotechnologies can benefit your life personally. Read along as we identify just a few fascinating applications of these technologies, that will directly improve your quality of life.

Protein Production

Your body is made up of a number of incredibly complex and intricate systems. These systems (cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, and others,) need energy to operate correctly. They also may need specific hormones and proteins. Of course, everyone’s body is built differently, and some people may have difficulty in naturally developing those proteins that are needed to survive. With the help of biotechnologies, scientists are working to develop protein expression services to help you create these proteins for yourself.

Recombinant protein expression is revolutionizing life services. It all starts at the genetic level. Protein production involves recoding the DNA to produce a certain protein. That recombinant protein can then be extracted and put through purification and duplicated. This technique greatly aids researchers as well as helps your body produce protein that it doesn’t naturally. By improving protein expression, new doors are being opened every day for the future of biotechnologies and healthcare.

Hearing Help

Your five senses, sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, are how you experience the world. Unfortunately, issues with some of these senses are more common than you would think, especially when it comes to your hearing care. Individuals may suffer from chronic tinnitus, hearing loss due to aging, inner ear problems, or auditory nerve damage, which increases a need for cochlear implants. Tinnitus can be a frustrating disease where you experience constant buzzing, ringing, or hissing in your ears. This can lead to other issues if the problem becomes severe tinnitus.

While there is no official cure for this medical condition, audiologists continue to use biotechnologies to research an effective treatment and potential tinnitus cures. Cognitive behavioral therapy and biofeedback are just a few ways to help dull your side effects. Also, hearing aids can be a tremendous tool to work as a masking device. Hearing aids is biotechnology that combines biological systems with high tech solutions that will improve your auditory system.

Overall Sustainability

For the past several years, sustainability and going green have been priorities for the world. Biotechnology is playing a huge role in this fight for cleaner living. One example of this is in food production. As the world's population grows, so does the amount of food needed to feed everyone. With the help of biotechnology, farmers are able to grow more crops that are both high in quality and sustainable. Likewise, the energy crisis can be solved by new, innovative, renewable energy sources. Through biological synthesis, energy is being created that leaves a smaller carbon footprint and helps you maintain cleaner air. By thinking outside the box and developing new products from biological systems, biotech is helping the world stay more sustainable from food to air to health.

A freelance writer with a BA in English from Sarah Lawrence College.