Topic > The debated applications of recombinant DNA technology

“[...] any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or their derivatives, to create or modify products or processes for a specific use.” This statement is often used to describe the fundamental purpose of biotechnology around the world. Karl Ereky, a leading proponent of the term biotechnology, predicted that “the fusion of biology and technology could be used to transform living substances into more useful products than in their natural state,” thus benefiting society by satisfying human needs or demands. of improvement. our quality life. Although the use of living systems to make a product has an established history, the modern definition of biotechnology is usually associated with recombinant DNA technology. The idea of ​​recombinant DNA was first proposed by Peter Lobban, but the founding principles were published in 1973 by Stanly Cohen and Hebert Boyer. “Recombinant DNA technology allows DNA to be produced by artificial means. This technology works by taking DNA from two different sources and combining it into a single molecule.” The ideas promoted by Karl Ereky illustrate a direct connection between biotechnology and recombinant DNA. A widely debated application of this technology is in the production of genetically modified foods. This technology has the function of adapting some food needs of modern life, facilitating its production, allowing a greater number of annual harvests, making it more resistant to parasites or enriching the nutritional aspect. There is a great controversy about genetically modified foods, because on the one hand there are scientists who modify a particular food to meet socioeconomic needs, while on the other there are environmentalists who believe that...... paper.. ....ability to use recombinant DNA technology to produce products with practical application. Science heroes such as Ereky, Lobban, Cohen, and Boyer provided the foundation for the transformation of the field of biotechnology, attracting popular audiences and government attention. Throughout the world, biotechnology has been a defining and enduring feature of humanity. Biotechnology has transformed human civilization, economic activity and transformed the lives of many humans on the planet. Recombinant DNA technology is a nascent science that offers humanity the prospect of discovering treatments and cures for the deadliest diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Studies are needed to establish the possible harm that its use could cause around the world, but it is fascinating how the use of this technology has changed the course of history over the last fifty years..