What is White Biotechnology?

Industrial biotechnology, also known as industrial biotechnology, involves the use of living organisms such as microorganisms to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly processes and products. Rather than using traditional chemical and petrochemical methods, industrial biotechnology utilizes microbes like bacteria, fungi and algae to carry out industrial processes more efficiently and with less pollution.

Applications of White Biotechnology

Some key applications where industrial biotechnology is being used include agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and biofuels production.

Agriculture

Industrial White Biotechnology helps improve agricultural productivity in a sustainable way. Microbes are used to develop biofertilizers and biopesticides as alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Biofertilizers contain nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria to enrich soil with nutrients. Biopesticides consist of fungi, bacteria and viruses that help control agricultural pests in an eco-friendly manner.

Food Processing

In the food industry, enzymes produced by microbes are used extensively. Fungal enzymes help in baking, brewing and fruit juice production. Lactic acid bacteria convert milk into yoghurt and cheeses. Bakers yeast allows bread to rise. Besides enzymes, probiotics containing beneficial gut bacteria are also produced using biotechnological methods for dietary supplements and functional foods.

Pharmaceuticals

Several modern medicines are now manufactured using biological systems. Insulin was one of the first biotech drugs produced from genetically modified E. coli bacteria. Today, a majority of recombinant therapeutic proteins are expressed in microbial systems for conditions like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and anaemia. Microbial fermentation enables large-scale, economic production of these life-saving drugs.

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