biotechnology
- 01 C1 Advanced
the use of living organisms, like cells or bacteria, to create new medicines, fuels, or ways of growing food.
the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals.
Simple“Advances in biotechnology have led to the development of life-saving vaccines and more resilient crops.”
In context“The startup is leveraging cutting-edge biotechnology to engineer bacteria capable of breaking down plastic waste in the ocean.”
UsageUsually uncountable; often shortened to 'biotech' in business and informal contexts.
Teacher's tipWhile 'biotechnology' is the formal academic term, 'biotech' is the standard term used in the business world and financial news.
Synonymsbioengineeringbiotech
“Developed by the biotechnology company Inventia Life Science, Ligō is designed to map a patient’s wound and print a precisely matched construct directly into it, nanoliter by nanoliter.”
“The postwar research system laid the foundation for innovations ranging from microelectronics and biotechnology to the internet .”
From bio- + technology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.