Biotechnology is one of the concepts technology brings to us when dealing with the many risks that threaten the world. The biotechnology industry, which has gradually developed since the 20th century, represents the most simple definition of biology-based technology.

The pace of biotechnology development has increased significantly in recent years. The scope has expanded as it begins to apply to health, the environment, food, and especially industrial processes. But why? In what ways is biotechnology going to make a difference in our lives? What are the practices and methods used? Let's take a look at their answers together.

What is biotechnology?

Biotechnology is a technology that utilizes living cells for the development of innovative products and services. It covers researching and applying biological processes and techniques in which living organisms are used. This may not sound familiar to you, but we can say that you know these methods very well in your everyday life. Biotechnology has been used to ferment staple foods such as bread and cheese for centuries.

As modern science develops, biotechnology applications have increased to manipulate organisms' and cells' genetic and molecular structures. Of course, increased knowledge of living organisms and technological advances play a role in this regard. Biotechnology is now part of our lives as an area of multidisciplinary research. Among the different disciplines that biotechnology benefits are genetic engineering, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, and many techniques in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Today, biotechnology methods can be found in many sectors, including food, health, agriculture, livestock, environment, energy, and forestry. We are also watching the effects of this expansion on the economy. The global biotech market is anticipated to reach approximately $727.1 billion by 2025. We know that there are more than 3,000 biotechnology companies in the U.S., which is the leader in this industry.

With increased incentives for healthcare technoparks and biomedical materials, investments in biotechnology have also grown in Türkiye. According to the most recent statistics published by TÜİK, the number of biotech initiatives was 499 in 2020, compared to 363 in 2019. Growth dynamics are also expected to continue over the next few years.

“With increased incentives for healthcare technoparks and biomedical materials, investments in biotechnology have also grown in Türkiye. According to the most recent statistics published by TÜİK, the number of biotech initiatives was 499 in 2020, compared to 363 in 2019.”

What are the areas of biotechnology applications?

The fields of application of biotechnology have tremendous potential. For example, food resistant to drought and pests can be genetically enhanced. This makes it possible to produce better-quality foods that contain neither toxins nor allergens. Similar approaches are also possible in the livestock industry. By improving animal health, it is possible to produce more nutritionally valuable animal products.

The impact it has on health is huge. Biotechnology methods are used to develop medical equipment and applications for diagnosing and treating diseases. These include insulin hormones, vaccines against diseases, antibiotics, gene therapies, molecular identification applications, and stem cell studies. Moreover, different techniques are used to minimize the side effects of medications.

Exciting solutions are also being developed in the field of environmental sustainability. For instance, through bioremediation applications, it is possible to clean our resources like soil and water with bacteria. These applications, developed by taking advantage of the chemical properties of microorganisms, fungi, plants, and enzymes, play an essential role in the protection of ecosystems.

Among the industries where biotechnology methods are used are refinery, petrochemical, textiles, paper, machinery, automotive, construction, and infrastructure. As a result, many benefits are provided, such as increasing the quality and variety of products, ensuring efficient production, greening facilities, and reducing the environmental impacts of operations. Let us look more closely at industrial biotech processes.

What are the uses of biotechnology in the industry?

Investment in high-purity, easily soluble biomaterials has grown impressively, especially in recent years. Of course, biotechnology plays a part in this. For example, compounds such as ethanol, acetoin, acetone, butanol, isopropanol, hydrogen, and methane can be fermented from microorganisms from a variety of grains. In this way, support is provided, in particular for the raw material requirements of the chemical industry and the diversity of resources. Moreover, as these substances are readily degraded in nature, they also contribute to the sustainability of the environment.

With the accelerating shift to low-carbon energy, demand for biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol has increased. These fuels are produced by applying biotechnology techniques to cellulose and various plant wastes. While sulfur removal is a widely used process, recent R&D studies have focused on the possibility of obtaining biofuels from microalgae. High energy efficiency is ensured because it demands much fewer chemical processes. They also play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint since the fuels produced do less damage the atmosphere.

Let's also look at the issue with respect to bioplastics. Given the time that plastics are blending with nature and the extent of plastic pollution today, we can say that the need for organic plastics is growing daily. Biotechnology methods are used to produce these products, distinguished by green chemistry studies. Therefore, significant value is created regarding environmental sustainability with organic-based plastics that can be easily decomposed into nature.

Biotechnological applications in the leather, textile, paper, detergents, and cosmetics industries are more frequent in enzymatic production. These enzymes, fermented from bacteria and fungi, are an essential source of inputs for these sectors.

Apart from product development processes, there are also biotechnological applications in operations such as waste management. In areas where intensive waste is generated, such as energy and manufacturing, waste can be separated much more efficiently through biotechnology. They can also be recycled and adapted to reuse.

As SOCAR Türkiye, we closely watch scientific and technological developments. SOCAR R&D leads the development of innovative products and processes that will add value to the industry. As part of our vision for the future, we also provide biotechnology services in our product development processes. We have developed a unique blend of liquid bacteria for bioremediation in wastewater treatment. With our adapted bacterial vaccination culture, we can effectively remove the difficult-to-eliminate chemicals found in petrochemical and refinery wastewater. This product, ready for sale under the name BIOTECH PET01, can be applied directly to bio pools, providing practical solutions for industrial biotreatment systems.

With our "Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Agricultural Food Wastes (BIOLINK)" project, which is in line with SOCAR GLOBAL's vision of "contributing to global sustainability through the development of low carbon emissions, circular economy, and environmentally friendly operations", we continue to work to lead the formation of the bio-based plastics market in our country. Our “Sustainable Jet Fuel Production Without Dewatering and Harvesting from Microalgae in the Growth Environment” project to produce eco-friendly fuels is also a pioneering solution that will drive the sustainable energy transition in the biotechnology field and make a difference.

In summary, biotechnology is essential for tomorrow's society. Although we do not know how far industrial biotechnology applications will go in the future, many exciting developments are waiting for us when the goal is to benefit humankind. We'll figure it out together.