Abstract:
Biotechnology, both traditional and modern is today generally accepted to contribute substantially to sustainable development by generating improvements in the fields of agriculture, industry, health care (human and animal) and environmental protection. Traditional biotechnology has been in use for centuries notably in the brewing and fermentation industries and in the production of animal vaccines. Modern biotechnology, however, includes, among other technologies, cell and tissue culture, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, genetic engineering and nanotechnology. The increased precision in modern biotechnology makes these new techniques particularly attractive.