From spider silk stronger than steel to fish that don't freeze
Discover the hidden powers of creatures that transcend the limits of imagination!
The world of biotechnology unfolds when technology is added to science.

Spider silk is 20 times stronger than steel of the same weight.
Fish living in Antarctica do not freeze even in sub-zero temperatures.
Even the smallest and most fragile creatures possess their own special powers.
What if we could harness this power? What if we could harness the properties of spider silk to create lightweight yet strong bulletproof vests, or harness the freezing resistance of Antarctic creatures to grow fruit in the cold? Biotechnology is the field that makes these seemingly science fiction movies a reality.
It is a cutting-edge science with infinite potential, as many as the number of living things, and is expected to develop further in the future.

What's the difference between life science and biotechnology, both taught in school? Life science is the study of discovering new phenomena and principles related to living organisms themselves.
Biotechnology, which differs by one letter, is a discipline that applies the phenomena and principles discovered in life science to real life.
It can be said to be a practical discipline that combines knowledge about life with technology to solve real-world problems.
Biotechnology is playing a vital role in a variety of issues, including developing customized medicines and bio-organs needed in an aging society, restoring ecosystems by decomposing pollutants with microorganisms, and solving food shortages by producing high-quality foods.

According to a 2023 survey of high school students' desired occupations conducted by the Ministry of Education, scientists studying biotechnology ranked a whopping third.
Couldn't we make biotechnology, a core discipline that will become even more important in the future, easier and more fun to learn?
"10 Things You Need to Know About Biotechnology" aims to be accessible to readers new to biotechnology while also accurately conveying the latest scientific knowledge in the field.
If you've ever been curious about the world of biotechnology, which combines life science and technology, check out "10 Things You Should Know About Biotechnology," a book designed for teenagers.

There is no absolute law or clear boundary dividing the research fields of life sciences and biotechnology, but there are clear differences.
For example, let's say that a substance produced by a certain bacterium during its life cycle is found to be useful to humans.
In this process, it is the job of a life scientist to analyze the characteristics of the bacteria and the types of substances they produce while living, and to study how they affect humans.
Meanwhile, if you want to obtain a large amount of this substance so that many people can benefit, you'll need to grow a lot of bacteria. Mass-cultivating bacteria is the domain of biotechnologists.
--- 「1.
From "Biotechnology, Who Are You?"

The Spanish flu is believed to have caused the most deaths among all flus in human history.
The Spanish flu virus disappeared from the Earth along with its victims without its identity being revealed because all victims of the flu died at the time.
But scientists have recovered the virus from tissue from a Spanish flu victim buried in the permafrost of Alaska.
There are real concerns that synthetic biology could be exploited to develop new biological weapons.
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From "The Power of Tiny Microorganisms_Microbial Biotechnology"

One of the important products that biotechnology aims to create through living organisms is proteins.
Proteins produced in living organisms have complex structures, so synthesizing them artificially requires a long time, multiple steps, and a lot of money.
So biotechnology also creates biological factories that insert useful genes into animals and use the animal's entire body to produce proteins needed by humans.
This will increase efficiency while lowering the cost of producing proteins, and also ensure that the proteins are produced safely from pathogen contamination.
Animals used in this way are called 'bioreactors'.
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From Cloned Sheep to Eco-Friendly Pigs_Animal Biotechnology

It might sound strange to think that viruses could be used to deliver genes to cure human diseases.
Because viruses are known to be agents that cause diseases.
But in fact, viruses have evolved to efficiently deliver their DNA to specific cells while evading the host's immune system.
This is exactly how viruses survive.
By removing the virus's ability to transmit genes while retaining its ability to infect others, we transform the virus into a means of transmitting genes that humans need.
--- 「7.
From “Beyond Disease and Aging_Medical Biotechnology”

One of the great advantages of bioremediation is that it converts harmful substances into less harmful substances such as carbon dioxide, chlorine, water, or simple organic matter.
In particular, because living organisms are used in the purification process, it can be treated more cleanly than other purification methods.
It also has the advantage of being able to perform cleanup work right at the polluted site.
It can be completely purified without disturbing the environment, as there is no need to move the pollutants to another location.
--- 「8.
If there are creatures that eat pollutants_From “Environmental Biotechnology”

We cannot stop exploiting other life forms in human life.
The important thing is 'how to use it'.
Biotechnology was initially studied solely for the benefit of humans, but as it developed, it began to move toward protecting not only humans but also other living beings, and even the nature surrounding all living beings.
In the coming future, we can expect greater benefits and coexistence from biotechnology.

--- From "Biotechnology: The Foundation of Utilization and Coexistence"