Abstract

Biotechnology, the use of biochemical and biological materials and processes, has long had a role in chemical technology. In the early years of the chemical industry, use of biological agents centered on fermentation techniques for the production of food products, eg, vinegar, cheeses, beer, and of simple organic compounds such as acetone, ethanol, and the butyl alcohols. By the middle of the twentieth century, most simple organic chemicals were produced synthetically. Advances in molecular biology and genetic engineering during the latter part of the twentieth century have widened the scope of possibilities for the use of biotechnological methods and resulted in increased interest on the part of the chemical industry. Microorganisms and mammalian cells are grown on an industrial scale to be harvested for their chemical output. Enzymes and microorganisms are utilized industrially to effect chemical modification of materials or to direct the outcome of synthetic reactions. Customized biological molecules are biologically produced to meet the needs of industry. Biopolymers are used in clinical and chemical analyses both for detection and for separation.