Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a broad area of biology, involving the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products. Depending on the tools and applications, it often overlaps with related scientific fields. Such capabilities open the possibility of much more tailored approaches to enhancing human capabilities, treating diseases, extending longevity, or boosting food production.

Those technologies are at an inflection point, where advances in genetic testing and editing — catalyzed by the new methods to manipulate genes — are turning science fiction into reality. The time and cost required to sequence a person’s genome has been slashed. However, access to advanced biotechnological techniques are be limited to those who can afford to travel and pay for the new procedures; divisive political debates over access are common regarding the issue.