Industrial biotechnology

Topic

A sector that uses biological systems for manufacturing and industrial processes, identified as a major market where gene editing is useful.


First Mentioned

10/22/2025, 4:07:38 AM

Last Updated

10/22/2025, 4:11:23 AM

Research Retrieved

10/22/2025, 4:11:23 AM

Summary

Industrial biotechnology, also known as "white biotechnology," is a multidisciplinary field that integrates natural sciences and engineering to leverage biological organisms, systems, and processes for the creation of products and services. Its core principle involves harnessing biological systems like bacteria, yeast, and plants to perform specific tasks or produce valuable substances, employing techniques such as genetic engineering, tissue culture, and fermentation. This field has diverse applications, ranging from life-saving drugs, biofuels, and genetically modified crops to biodegradable plastics and environmental remediation. A recent significant development is Profluent Bio's open-sourcing of OpenCrisper-1, an AI-driven gene editing tool that is more effective than existing CRISPR technology, aiming to democratize access to gene editing and accelerate progress in life sciences, agriculture technology, and industrial biotechnology by bypassing restrictive patent landscapes.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Benefits

    Reduced energy consumption, Greenhouse gas emissions, Waste generation, Cost reduction, Pollution prevention, Resource conservation, Sustainable and efficient solutions, Increased efficiency, Renewable resources

  • Challenges

    Ethical and societal questions (genetic modification, intellectual property rights)

  • Definition

    Integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences for the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services

  • Applications

    Life-saving drugs, Biofuels, Genetically modified crops, Biodegradable plastics, Environmental remediation, Antibiotics, Monoclonal antibodies, Vaccines, Therapeutic compounds (hormones, vitamins, enzymes), Industrial enzymes, Chemicals, Bio-cementation, Waste treatment, Food products, Jet fuel, Nylon

  • Also known as

    White biotechnology

  • Core principle

    Harnessing biological systems and organisms (bacteria, yeast, plants) to perform specific tasks or produce valuable substances

  • Key techniques

    Genetic engineering, Tissue culture, Fermentation, Protein engineering, Metabolic engineering, Synthetic biology, Systems biology, Downstream processing

  • Related fields

    Bioengineering, Biomedical engineering, Molecular biology, Biochemistry, Cell biology, Embryology, Genetics, Microbiology, Bioinformatics

  • Key components used

    Microbes (bacteria, yeast, fungi), Enzymes, Cell cultures

  • Impact on manufacturing

    Uses enzymes and microorganisms to produce detergents, textiles, paper and pulp, biofuels, plastics, beauty products, jet fuel

  • Term 'biotechnology' first used by

    Károly Ereky

  • Term 'biotechnology' first used year

    1919

Timeline
  • The term 'biotechnology' was first used by Károly Ereky to refer to the production of products from raw materials with the aid of living organisms. (Source: Wikipedia)

    1919-XX-XX

  • Profluent Bio, a Berkeley-based startup, developed and open-sourced OpenCrisper-1, a revolutionary AI-driven gene editing tool more effective than existing CRISPR technology, aiming to democratize access to gene editing. (Source: Related Documents)

    2024-XX-XX

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists in the field are known as biotechnologists. The term biotechnology was first used by Károly Ereky in 1919 to refer to the production of products from raw materials with the aid of living organisms. The core principle of biotechnology involves harnessing biological systems and organisms, such as bacteria, yeast, and plants, to perform specific tasks or produce valuable substances. Biotechnology had a significant impact on many areas of society, from medicine to agriculture to environmental science. One of the key techniques used in biotechnology is genetic engineering, which allows scientists to modify the genetic makeup of organisms to achieve desired outcomes. This can involve inserting genes from one organism into another, and consequently, create new traits or modifying existing ones. Other important techniques used in biotechnology include tissue culture, which allows researchers to grow cells and tissues in the lab for research and medical purposes, and fermentation, which is used to produce a wide range of products such as beer, wine, and cheese. The applications of biotechnology are diverse and have led to the development of products like life-saving drugs, biofuels, genetically modified crops, and innovative materials. It has also been used to address environmental challenges, such as developing biodegradable plastics and using microorganisms to clean up contaminated sites. Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field with significant potential to address pressing global challenges and improve the quality of life for people around the world; however, despite its numerous benefits, it also poses ethical and societal challenges, such as questions around genetic modification and intellectual property rights. As a result, there is ongoing debate and regulation surrounding the use and application of biotechnology in various industries and fields. Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms for human purposes, going back to domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, and "improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization. Modern usage also includes genetic engineering, as well as cell and tissue culture technologies. The American Chemical Society defines biotechnology as the application of biological organisms, systems, or processes by various industries to learning about the science of life and the improvement of the value of materials and organisms, such as pharmaceuticals, crops, and livestock. As per the European Federation of Biotechnology, biotechnology is the integration of natural science and organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services. Biotechnology is based on the basic biological sciences (e.g., molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, embryology, genetics, microbiology) and conversely provides methods to support and perform basic research in biology. Biotechnology is the research and development in the laboratory using bioinformatics for exploration, extraction, exploitation, and production from any living organisms and any source of biomass by means of biochemical engineering where high value-added products could be planned (reproduced by biosynthesis, for example), forecasted, formulated, developed, manufactured, and marketed for the purpose of sustainable operations (for the return from bottomless initial investment on R & D) and gaining durable patents rights (for exclusives rights for sales, and prior to this to receive national and international approval from the results on animal experiment and human experiment, especially on the pharmaceutical branch of biotechnology to prevent any undetected side-effects or safety concerns by using the products). The utilization of biological processes, organisms or systems to produce products that are anticipated to improve human lives is termed biotechnology. By contrast, bioengineering is generally thought of as a related field that more heavily emphasizes higher systems approaches (not necessarily the altering or using of biological materials directly) for interfacing with and utilizing living things. Bioengineering is the application of the principles of engineering and natural sciences to tissues, cells, and molecules. This can be considered as the use of knowledge from working with and manipulating biology to achieve a result that can improve functions in plants and animals. Relatedly, biomedical engineering is an overlapping field that often draws upon and applies biotechnology (by various definitions), especially in certain sub-fields of biomedical or chemical engineering such as tissue engineering, biopharmaceutical engineering, and genetic engineering.

Web Search Results
  • 11.1: Applications of Industrial Biotechnology - Biology LibreTexts

    Industrial biotechnology, also known as "white" biotechnology, is a branch of biotechnology that uses a biological system to develop bio-based products, processes, or services used in industry. These biological systems may be naturally occurring, modified slightly through genetic engineering, or can be redesigned from "scratch" to create synthetic systems. To learn about synthetic biology, go to Chapter 11.2 Synthetic Biology & Bioprocess Engineering. [...] One popular use of industrial biotechnology is the production of a "biologic",a therapeutic product extracted from a biological organism. The biological systems used in industrial biotechnology include the use of microbes (e.g. bacteria, yeast, other fungi), enzymes, and cell cultures. Industrial biotechnology integrates these biological systems with other areas, like engineering, to create sustainable and efficient solutions for industries such as agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, [...] Industrial biotechnology plays a vital role in drug development, including the production of antibiotics, the development of monoclonal antibodies for treating diseases, the production of vaccines through the use of recombinant DNA technology, and the synthesis of therapeutic compounds (e.g. hormones, vitamins, enzymes) using genetically-modified bacteria. For example, human insulin is now produced at scale through the insertion of the human insulin gene into bacteria. Industrial biotechnology

  • What is Industrial Biotechnology? - BIO

    Industrial biotechnology is one of the most promising new approaches to pollution prevention, resource conservation, and cost reduction. It is often referred to as the third wave in biotechnology. If developed to its full potential, industrial biotechnology may have a larger impact on the world than health care and agricultural biotechnology. It offers businesses a way to reduce costs and create new markets while protecting the environment. Also, since many of its products do not require the [...] Industrial biotechnology involves working with nature to maximize and optimize existing biochemical pathways that can be used in manufacturing. The industrial biotechnology revolution rides on a series of related developments in three fields of study of detailed information derived from the cell: genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. As a result, scientists can apply new techniques to a large number of microorganisms ranging from bacteria, yeasts, and fungi to marine diatoms and protozoa. [...] Since that time, industrial biotechnology has produced enzymes for use in our daily lives and for the manufacturing sector. For instance, meat tenderizer is an enzyme and some contact lens cleaning fluids contain enzymes to remove sticky protein deposits. In the main, industrial biotechnology involves the microbial production of enzymes, which are specialized proteins. These enzymes have evolved in nature to be super-performing biocatalysts that facilitate and speed-up complex biochemical

  • Biotechnology and Its Impact on Manufacturing | News & Insights

    “Industrial biotechnology” is another term for using enzymes and microorganisms to manufacture a variety of products, including detergents, textiles, paper and pulp, and biofuels. Fermentation can be used to create plastics, beauty products, and jet fuel. Genomatica, a bioengineering company, announced it has discovered a way to use engineered microorganisms to ferment plant sugars to produce caprolactam, a key ingredient in nylon, thus eliminating the need to use fossil fuels to make this type [...] Biotechnology is used to produce industrial enzymes, chemicals, convert biomass into energy and chemicals, and remediate environmental pollution. For the construction industry, bio-cementation is a process that uses bacteria to precipitate calcium carbonate within concrete, making it stronger and more durable. Bioremediation is a waste-management technique that uses organisms to neutralize contaminants, breaking them down into non-toxic substances.

  • Industrial biotechnology: tools and applications - PubMed

    Industrial biotechnology involves the use of enzymes and microorganisms to produce value-added chemicals from renewable sources. Because of its association with reduced energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste generation, industrial biotechnology is a rapidly growing field. Here we highlight a variety of important tools for industrial biotechnology, including protein engineering, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, systems biology, and downstream processing. In addition, we [...] show how these tools have been successfully applied in several case studies, including the production of 1, 3-propanediol, lactic acid, and biofuels. It is expected that industrial biotechnology will be increasingly adopted by chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural industries. [...] doi: 10.1002/biot.200900127. ### Authors Weng Lin Tang1,Huimin Zhao ### Affiliation 1 Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. PMID: 19844915 DOI: 10.1002/biot.200900127 Item in Clipboard Full text links Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract

  • Applications Of Industrial Biotechnology | PPTX - Slideshare

    Industrial Biotechnology:It, often referred to as “white biotechnology”, is a collection of scientific techniques and technologies used to improve both the efficiency and environmental foot print of modern industrial production.Microbial technology constitutes the core of Industrial Biotechnology. Microbial technology refers to the use of microbes to obtain a product or service of economic value. It is also called as fermentation. 3. [...] Activities In Industrial Microbiology: Isolation of microorganisms from nature, Their screening for product formation, Improvement of product yields, Maintenance of cultures, Mass culture using bioreactors, and Recovery of products or services. 4. Applications:Metabolite production. Anaerobic digestion (for methane production). Waste treatment (both organic and industrial). Production of biocontrol agents, and Fermentation of food products.Bio based fuel &energy. 5. [...] Bio based fuel & energy:Ethanol currently produced by fermenting grain (old technology).Cellulose enzyme technology allows conversion of crop residues (stems, leaves and hulls) to ethanol.Results in reduced CO2 emissions by more than 90% (compared to oil).Allows for greater domestic energy production and it uses a renewable feedstock. 12. Benefits:Low input of substrate.High rate of output.Friendly to environment.Renewable.Increased efficiency. 13.

Location Data

Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, A 1, Mengenich, Bocklemünd/Mengenich, Ehrenfeld, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, 50829, Deutschland

research

Coordinates: 50.9802972, 6.8534526

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