Biotechnology a Hot Career Choice for the 21st Century
Expert predicts 400,000 people will be employed in biotech industry by 2011
Biotechnology has been called the cutting-edge industry of the new century. But you can see the potential of a career in biotechnology in something as simple, old and traditional as rice, one of the world's first foods.
"The future of agriculture will be navigated using the rice genome map," says Stephen Goff, a geneticist at Syngenta Biotechnology. Goff was part of a team that in 2002 finished mapping the complete genetic structure, or genome, of rice — a breakthrough scientists say will lead to varieties of rice (and other cereal crops) that taste better, provide more nutrition and are easier to grow.>>>> Read More
Biotech and Butterflies
Bt corn impact on butterflies is ‘negligible,’ says USDA report.
Bt corn does not threaten the overall health and well-being of monarch butterflies, according to several recent studies.
The idea that Bt corn did pose a threat to butterflies took flight in 1999, when Cornell University researchers found, in a laboratory study, that monarch larvae could be harmed or killed if they ate large amounts of Bt corn pollen.>>>>Read More
Biotech Plants Help Clean the Environment
Benefits include removal of toxins and other unwanted materials
Most people think of plant biotechnology as it relates to agriculture. Your first thoughts may be of farmers benefiting from increased yields of corn, soybean or cotton. The first environmental benefits that come to mind may include reduced pesticide applications, less soil tillage and reductions in associated fossil-fuel use. But in addition to reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural crops, scientists are working to bolster other plants' natural abilities to rid the environment of unwanted materials.
Phytoremediation: How Plants Help Clean the Soil
Phytoremediation uses plants to remove, transfer, stabilize and destroy environmental contaminants. As plants take in water and other nutrients through their roots, they remove harmful chemicals from the soil. Trees are particularly adept at phytoremediation because their roots grow much more deeply into the soil than other plants.>>>>Read More
