Biotechnology
We use biotechnology to alter living things. It gives us the power to create new animals, plants, foods, medicines, materials and even machines. People have used biotechnology for thousands of years to slowly breed new plants, animals and microorganisms that make cheese, bread, beer, yogurt and wine. Today, modern biotechnology could speed up this breeding process by altering the genetic material deep inside living cells. Scientists have already created bright blue carnations, and tomatoes that ripen on the vine without getting mushy. Biotechnology’s potential is enormous. We can even use bacteria grown in laboratories to digest oil to clean up oil spills. The next hundred years will be an age of exciting “bio-inventions”.