Biotechnology is a branch of biology in which we study various technologies that help in the production of certain products that can yield in the welfare of human beings. Biotechnology involves the use of microorganisms, plants and animal cells or their components to produce products and processes for the benefit of human beings. Biotechnology is based on two main principles. One is genetic engineering which involves the direct manipulation of DNA and RNA of an organism. The second principle involves the maintenance of a sterile environment in the chemical engineering process which can help in the growth of only those microbes that are required for the process of producing useful products. Biotechnology also involves three basic steps which include development of a recombinant DNA, cloning of the desired gene and the transfer of the cloned gene into the suitable host organism. There are various types of biotechnology such as medical biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology or green biotechnology, blue biotechnology, red biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, etc.

Green Biotechnology:

• It’s used for agricultural purposes
• The technology is used to make or develop genetically modified plants or the plants tolerant to pests and droughts etc

Aim:

• To improve the nutritional quality, quantity, and production economics of plants
• It involves implanting foreign genes to plant economically important species

It contains three main areas:

•   Tissue culture of plants
•   Plant genetic engineering
•   Plant molecular marker-assisted breeding, Example – BT Cotton

Example of green biotechnology 

• Pest resistant crops – By using biotechnology, such crops can be created which show anti-pest characteristics naturally and become very resistant to pests
• Plant and animal breeding- This process involves the selection of animals with the most desirable characteristics to breed with each other so that the resulting offspring would also express the desired traits

Blue Biotechnology:

• Concerned about the deployment of cellular biological methods to marine and freshwater organisms
• It involves using these organisms, and their derivatives, for multiple purposes, including industrial purposes
• The most remarkable development is the process of identification and development of new active ingredients from marine origin
• For example, the use of wound dressings coated with Chitosan to bandage wounds. Chitosan is a sugar typically derived from shrimp and crab shells

Red Biotechnology:

• Red biotechnology (Biopharma) is a distinct branch of biotechnology, which deals with biotechnology’s therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications
• It is applied to produce vaccines and antibiotics, regenerative therapies, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, etc

White Biotechnology:

• It is related to Industrial Biotechnology and applied to various industrial processes
• It gives exceptional consideration to planning low asset devouring cycles and items, making them more energy-efficient

Examples:

• Chemical production
• The design and production of new plastics/textiles
• The identification of new sustainable energy sources such as biofuels

Grey Biotechnology:

• It is an environmental application and is focused on maintaining biodiversity and removing pollutants/contaminants using microorganisms and plants to isolate and dispose of different
• Substances such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons
• For example, the Carlow-based SME MicroGen Biotech is assisting with cleaning economically dirtied land in China

Yellow Biotechnology:

• It is biotechnology with creepy crawlies undifferentiated from the green (plants) and red (creatures) biotechnology
• Dynamic fixings or qualities in creepy crawlies are portrayed and utilized for examination or application in agriculture and medicine
• Example: Making wine, cheese, and beer by fermentation
• Making the tremendous vault of the relative multitude of normal substances accessible to the bio-economy is yellow biotechnology, which is also called ‘Insect Biotechnology’
• It’s an advanced agribusiness branch identified with food creation where dynamic qualities in creepy crawlies are used for application in agriculture and medicine

These Are What Yellow Biotechnology Includes

• Minimising environmental exploitation from meat production
• Modification of plant toxins
• Extracting useful insects products

Future of Yellow Biotechnology:

• Science is making revelations and creations each and every day. Each passing day, we learn about another story that could change the way we live and think someday. Yellow biotechnology also has similar possibilities
• Yellow Biotechnology sometimes means applying biotechnological techniques for taking advantage of creepy crawly-derived molecules, cells, organs – as products for using it in the fields of medicine, plant protection, or manufacturing

Conclusion 

Biotechnology is a broad area of biology which uses both the technology and the application of living organisms that can help in the production of certain products that result in the welfare of human beings. Biotechnology is based on two main principles. One is genetic engineering which involves the direct manipulation of DNA and RNA of an organism. The second principle involves the maintenance of a sterile environment in the chemical engineering process which can help in the growth of only those microbes that are required for the process of producing useful products. There are various types of biotechnology such as medical biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology or green biotechnology, blue biotechnology, red biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, etc. Green biotechnology is used for agriculture purposes. The technology is used to make or develop genetically modified plants or the plants tolerant to pests and droughts etc. Blue biotechnology involves the deployment of cellular biological methods to marine and freshwater organisms. Red biotechnology (Biopharma) is a distinct branch of biotechnology, which deals with biotechnology’s therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications. White biotechnology is related to Industrial Biotechnology and applied to various industrial processes. Yellow biotechnology is biotechnology with creepy crawlies undifferentiated from the green (plants) and red (creatures) biotechnology. Grey biotechnology is an environmental application and is focused on maintaining biodiversity and removing pollutants/contaminants using microorganisms and plants to isolate and dispose of different.