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About Biotechnology
Biotechnology, in a nutshell, is defined as “The use of living things to make products”.
The education and skills taught in Bates’ biotechnology program are in high demand and can be utilized in a variety of industries including:
Biotechnology is Healthy
Biotechnology has created more than 200 new therapies and vaccines, including products to treat cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and autoimmune disorders.
There are more than 400 biotechnology drug products and vaccines currently in clinical trials targeting more than 200 diseases, including various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and arthritis.
Biotechnology is responsible for hundreds of medical diagnostic tests that keep the blood supply safe from HIV and detect other conditions early enough to be successfully treated. Home pregnancy tests are also biotechnology diagnostic products.
Biotechnology is Environmentally Friendly
Agricultural biotechnology benefits farmers, consumers and the environment by increasing yields and farm income, decreasing pesticide applications and improving soil and water quality, and providing healthful foods for consumers.
Environmental biotechnology products make it possible to clean up hazardous waste more efficiently by harnessing pollution-eating microbes.
Industrial biotechnology applications have led to cleaner processes that produce less waste and use less energy and water in such industrial sectors as chemicals, pulp and paper, textiles, food, energy, and metals and minerals. For example, most laundry detergents produced in the United States contain biotechnology-based enzymes.
Biotechnology is Here to Stay*
- As of December 31, 2006, there were 1,452 biotechnology companies in the United States.
- The biotechnology industry has mushroomed since 1992, with U.S. health care biotechnology revenues from publicly traded companies rising from $8 billion in 1992 to $58.8 billion in 2006.
- There were 180,000 employed in U.S. biotechnology companies in 2006.
The top five biotechnology companies invested an average of $170,000 per employee in Research and Development in 2007.
- The biosciences - including all life-sciences activities - employed 1.2 million people in the United States in 2004 and generated an additional 5.8 million related jobs.
- The average annual wage of U.S. bioscience workers was $65,775 in 2004, more than $26,000 greater than the average private-sector annual wage.
* for statistics see legal information
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