 | ||
|
Biotechnology Outreach Home SEE Biotech | Here's an easy way to remember the ways we use biotechnology. Think of them as The 5 Fs - five broad categories, beginning with an [f] sound, of products from living microbes, plants or animals: | |
| Food - for humans and feed for livestock. | ||
| Fiber - cotton, wool, silk, linen, leather, lumber and paper. | ||
| Fuel - ethanol (gasohol), methane, wood. | ||
| Feedstocks - building blocks for polymers and industrial lubricants. Microbes are also essential in treating wastewater and can be used to clean up oil and toxic chemical spills. | ||
| Pharmaceuticals - diagnostics for detecting diseases or pathogens; vaccines for preventing illness; antitoxins for blocking poisoning; antibiotics for fighting infections; and therapeutics for treating disease. Medical biotechnology also includes genetic testing and counseling for predicting susceptibility; and gene therapy for correcting disorders caused by defective genes. | ||
| Send comments concerning this page to: zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu. |