Biotechnology: the view from the FDA

What is biotechnology? This is not a naive question. The Office of Technology Assessment has found differing definitions of biotechnology emanating from eight foreign countries and three international organizations. FDA's working definition of biotechnology is the application of biological systems and organisms to technical and industrial processes. This definition is necessarily broad. It takes in both the "old" and "new" science: the age-old techniques for making beer or yogurt as well as the most advanced uses of recombinant DNA technology. It takes in many applications, from production of enzymes for laundry detergents, to selective breeding of plants and animals, to genetic engineering of bacteria to clean up oil spills. As with any new technology, ethical issues are raised. But in the case of genetic engineering and cloning, many of the primordial fears of man concerning the power of science are awakened.