^12th EuroBiotechnology Congress November 7-9, 2016 Alicante, Spain

Healthcare biotechnology refers to a medicinal or diagnostic product or a vaccine that consists of, or has been produced in, living organisms and may be manufactured via recombinant technology (recombinant DNA is a form of DNA that does not exist naturally. It is created by combining DNA sequences that would not normally occur together). This technology has a tremendous impact on meeting the needs of patients and their families as it not only encompasses medicines and diagnostics that are manufactured using a biotechnological process, but also gene and cell therapies and tissue engineered products. Biotechnology offers patients a variety of new solutions such as: Unique, targeted and personalized therapeutic and diagnostic solutions for particular diseases or illnesses, An unlimited amount of potentially safer products, Superior therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, Higher clinical effectiveness because of the biological basis of the disease being known, Development of vaccines for immunity, Treatment of diseases, Cultured Stem Cells and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Skin related ailments and use of cultured cell, Genetic Counseling, Forensic Medicine, Gene Probes, Genetic Fingerprinting, Karyotyping.

Food biotechnology encompasses the use of living organisms to make products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microbes for specific uses. It includes genetically modified (GM) crops, functional foods, aquaculture as well as more traditional food products such as cheeses, breads and beer. It is estimated that in the next 20-30 years demand for food will increase by 70%. Biotechnology will be key to meeting this demand. In the US there is a general public acceptance of biotech-enabled innovation in food and in North America, more than 60% of all processed food products are reported to contain GM ingredients. Consumer resistance to GM crop and foods containing GM ingredients remains high in Europe and there are significant regulatory constraints.

Industrial or white biotechnology uses enzymes and micro-organisms to make biobased products in sectors such as chemicals, food and feed, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles and bioenergy. The application of industrial biotechnology has been proven to make significant contributions towards mitigating the impacts of climate change in these and other sectors. In addition to environmental benefits, biotechnology can improve industry’s performance and product value and, as the technology develops and matures, white biotechnology will yield more and more viable solutions for our environment. These innovative solutions bring added benefits for both our climate and our economy.

Plant biotechnology is the technique used to manipulate the plants for specific needs or requirement.  In traditional process seed is the major source for germinating a new plant but the advance method is independent that combines multiple needs to get the required traits. Plant biotechnology meets the challenge that includes genomics, genetic engineering, tissue culture, and transgenic crops etc. The recent advances in plant biotechnology provide potential way to make improvements much more quickly than conventional plant breeding techniques. Plant tissue culture is a part of plant biotechnology which is the collection of many techniques that is used to maintain and grow plant, plant cells, plant tissues under controlled sterile conditions over the nutrient medium. The main advantage of this method is to produce exact and multiple copies of plants with good desired properties like good flowers, fruits and other characters within small span of time. Production of multiple plants without seed, production of genetically modified plants, the tissue culture plants are resistant to the diseases, pathogens and pests, also it is the best method to store the gene pools and many more

Agricultural biotechnology is the area of biotechnology involving applications to agriculture. Agricultural biotechnology has been practiced for a long time, as people have sought to improve agriculturally important organisms by selection and breeding. An example of traditional agricultural biotechnology is the development of disease-resistant wheat varieties by cross-breeding different wheat types until the desired disease resistance was present in a resulting new variety. Genetic engineering technologies can help to improve health conditions in less developed countries. Genetic engineering can result in improved keeping properties to make transport of fresh produce easier, giving consumers access to nutritionally valuable whole foods and preventing decay, damage, and loss of nutrients. Benefits of Agriculture Biotechnology include Increased crop productivity, Enhanced crop protection, Improvements in food processing, Improved nutritional value, Environmental benefits, Better flavor, Fresher produce.

Biotechnology provides new tools for improving human health and animal health and welfare and increasing livestock productivity. Biotechnology improves the food we eat - meat, milk and eggs. Biotechnology can improve an animal’s impact on the environment. And biotechnology enhances ability to detect, treat and prevent diseases. Just like other assisted reproduction techniques such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization, livestock cloning improves animal breeding programs allowing farmers and ranchers to produce healthier offspring, and therefore producer healthier, safer and higher quality foods more consistently.

Environmental biotechnology is biotechnology that is applied to and used to study the natural environment. Environmental biotechnology could also imply that one try to harness biological process for commercial uses and exploitation. The International Society for Environmental Biotechnology defines environmental biotechnology as "the development, use and regulation of biological systems for remediation of contaminated environments (land, air, water), and for environment-friendly processes (green manufacturing technologies and sustainable development)

Aquaculture & Marine Biotechnology have been the subject of great importance not only because of the sustainable utilization of their resources to feed the billion people of the world but also for the future challenges for discovery of new products and process development of economic importance through its treasure recognition and diversification. Apart from contributing to high quality and healthy food (aquaculture), nutraceuticals and medicinal products (anti-cancer and antimicrobials), this sector is expected to contribute to sustainable alternative source of energy (biofuel from microalgae) and environmental health. The potential for the contribution of Marine Biotechnology is, therefore, even more relevant now than it was ten years ago and a sound strategy for its development in India is urgently needed to allow this potential to be realized. Marine Biotechnology is capable of making an important contribution towards meeting impending challenges like a sustainable supply of food and energy and human health. Marine Biotechnology is providing many new solutions to Industry and Agriculture, including environmentally friendly pesticides and salt-resistant enzymes that are helpful in many industrial applications.

Nanobiotechnology is beginning to allow scientists, engineers, and physicians to work at the cellular and molecular levels to produce major benefits to life sciences and healthcare. In the next century, the emerging field of nanotechnology will lead to new biotechnology based industries and novel approaches in medicine. Nanobiotechnology is that branch of nanotechnology that deals with biological and biochemical applications or uses. Nanobiotechnology often studies existing elements of living organisms and nature to fabricate new nano-devices. Generally, nanobiotechnology refers to the use of nanotechnology to further the goals of biotechnology. Some of the innovative challenges in the field of biology are: New molecular imaging techniques, Quantitative analytical tools, Physical model of the cell as a machine, Better ex-vivo tests and improvement in current laboratory techniques and Better drug delivery systems.

Due to multidisciplinary nature of the field of biotechnology, a wide range of different branches of science have made significant contributions to the fast development of this field. Some of these disciplines are- biochemical engineering, physiology, biochemistry, food science, material science, bioinformatics, immunology, molecular biology, chemical engineering etc. Biotechnology is also improving the lives of people around the world. Biotechnology also has affected economy in a positive way due to the creation and growth of small business, generation of new jobs. Agricultural biotechnology has reduced our dependency on pesticides. Bioremediation technologies are being used to clean our environment by removing toxic substances from contaminated ground water and soils. about 60% of the biotechnology products in the market are healthcare products and 21% are products used in agriculture and animal husbandry. A considerable amount of efforts in research are on, to use and extract benefit from this interesting and upcoming field for the betterment of human life and the environment. Many biochemical companies are involved in the production of biotechnological products using genetic engineering techniques.

Bioenergy is the chemical energy contained in organic matter (biomass) which can be converted into energy forms that we can use directly, such as electricity, heat and liquid fuel.Biomass is any organic matter of recently living plant or animal origin. Unlike coal, the organic matter is not fossilised.Traditionally mainly woody biomass has been used for bioenergy, however more recent technologies have expanded the potential resources to those such as agricultural residues, oilseeds and algae. These advanced bioenergy technologies allow for the sustainable development of the bioenergy industry, without competing with the traditional agricultural industry for land and resources. Bioenergy plants can range from small domestic heating systems to multi-megawatt industrial plants requiring hundreds of thousands of tonnes of biomass fuel each year. A variety of technologies exists to release and use the energy contained in biomass.They range from combustion technologies that are well proven and widely used around the world for generating electricity generation, to emerging technologies that convert biomass into liquid fuels for road, sea and air transport.

The applications of biotechnology are so broad, and the advantages so compelling, that virtually every industry is using this technology. Developments are underway in areas as diverse as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, textiles, aquaculture, forestry, chemicals, household products, environmental cleanup, food processing and forensics to name a few. Biotechnology is enabling these industries to make new or better products, often with greater speed, efficiency and flexibility. Biotechnology holds significant promise to the future.

The growth of Biotechnology industry as per Transparency Market Research is estimated to observe substantial growth during 2010 and 2017 as investments from around the world are anticipated to rise, especially from emerging economical regions of the world. The report states that the global market for biotechnology, studied according to its application areas, shall grow at an average annual growth rate of CAGR 11.6% from 2012 to 2017 and reach a value worth USD 414.5 billion by the end of 2017. This market was valued approximately USD 216.5 billion in 2011.  The market of bioagriculture, combined with that of bioseeds, is projected to reach a value worth USD 27.46 billion by 2018. The field of biopharmaceuticals dominated the global biotechnology market and accounted for 60% shares of it in the year 2011.  Many biotechnological industries flourished by the technological advancements leading to new discoveries and rising demands from the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors.

The biotechnology community in Asia has seen significant growth in recent years. By establishing itself in several key niche markets, the European biotech and pharma industries have thrived in the global biopharmaceutical market. Asia’s high standards for their life science educational systems have increased the level of growth and the quality of Asia’s workforce and broadened Asia’s reach within the world. With a dedication to innovation and research, Asia has established itself as a leader in biotechnology.