Unit 8 Listen and Read:
Medical Biotechnology: Techniques and Applications
The field of medical biotechnology is experiencing rapid growth in recent years, leading to the development of several innovative techniques for preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases. Novel methodologies, including polymerase chain reaction, gene sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization, microarrays, cell culture, gene silencing using interference ribonucleic acid (RNA), and genome editing, have significantly contributed towards improving health science, such as the sequencing of the human genome, use of stem cells for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, development of antibiotics, and the generation of monoclonal antibodies for therapy. If the current growth rate continues, medical biotechnology will soon become a major pillar of health science. Biotechnology and bioengineering are disciplines of science, which use knowledge of biological sciences and advanced technologies to generate new and useful products and processes for the benefit of society. The potential of biotechnology and bioengineering is immense because it touches the entire spectrum of life including agriculture, food processing, medicine, and many other areas.