biotechnology

IPA/ˌbaɪəʊtekˈnɒlədʒi/
KK[bˌaɪotˌɛknˈɑlədʒi]IPA/ˌbaɪəʊtekˈnɑːlədʒi/

biotechnology — noun

1. the science of taking living organisms — such as bacteria, yeast, or human cells

1.nounC1
Definition

the science of taking living organisms — such as bacteria, yeast, or human cells — and changing them so they can make medicines, food, fuel, or other useful things in factories and laboratories.

Example

Kalani took a job at a biotechnology company that grows insulin from modified bacteria.

biotechnology + company / firm / industry

Modern biotechnology lets scientists copy a single gene and place it inside a tomato plant.

subject of an active sentence describing what the field can do

Common collocations
  • modern biotechnology
  • agricultural biotechnology
  • medical biotechnology
  • advances in biotechnology
  • biotechnology firm / company / industry
Synonyms
  • bioengineering

    overlaps strongly, but stresses the engineering and design side rather than the use of whole living cells

  • genetic engineering

    narrower; refers only to changing DNA, while biotechnology also covers fermentation and cell culture

  • life sciences

    broader academic umbrella that includes biology and medicine, not only industrial use

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable; do not say 'a biotechnology' or 'biotechnologies'. Subject is typically a country, company, university, or 'modern biotechnology' as a field; common verbs include 'use', 'develop', and 'invest in'.

Common Mistakes

She is a biotechnology.
She works in biotechnology.
the word names a field, not a person; use 'biotechnologist' for the person.
New biotechnologies were sold last year.
New biotechnology products were sold last year.
'biotechnology' is uncountable, so add a head noun like 'products', 'tools', or 'methods'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four terms all touch the same territory but sit at different scales. 'Biotechnology' is the broadest practical label: any use of living cells or microbes to make a product, from beer to vaccines. 'Bioengineering' overlaps with biotechnology but emphasises designing the system — building artificial organs or programming bacteria like machines. 'Genetic engineering' is much narrower: it refers only to changing an organism's DNA. So all genetic engineering counts as biotechnology, but not the other way round; brewing yogurt is biotechnology without being genetic engineering. 'Life sciences' is an academic umbrella that includes biology, medicine, and ecology, with no requirement that anything be sold. In job ads, a Taiwanese student might see 'biotechnology firm' on a factory poster, but 'life sciences' on a graduate-school application form.

biotechnology ↗bioengineering ↗genetic engineering ↗life sciences

Common collocations

Nouns

  • biotechnology company
  • biotechnology firm
  • biotechnology industry
  • biotechnology research
  • biotechnology sector

Phrases

  • advances in biotechnology
  • the biotechnology revolution
  • modern biotechnology

Prepositions

  • in biotechnology
  • of biotechnology

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Built from three Greek-derived parts: 'bio-' (life), 'techno-' (skill or craft), and '-logy' (study of). The compound first appeared in English around 1919 in the work of a Hungarian agricultural engineer who wanted a name for using living things in farming and industry. For decades it stayed a quiet technical term; only after the rise of recombinant DNA work in the 1970s did 'biotechnology' move into newspapers and business pages with its current commercial flavour.