Although numerous breakthroughs in biology and technology have led to the development of biotechnology throughout the years, it is said that the phrase was original, used in 1919 by a Hungarian agricultural engineer named Karl Ereky.
Biotechnology, he said, was the biological transformation of basic materials into socially valuable goods. As a result of this, some consider him the “Father of Biotechnology”.
Key Takeaways
- Traditional Biotechnology involves using living organisms or their products for useful purposes, while Modern Biotechnology involves genetic engineering and manipulating living organisms.
- Traditional Biotechnology has been used for thousands of years, while Modern Biotechnology is a more recent development.
- Traditional Biotechnology is often used in agriculture and food production, while Modern Biotechnology has a wide range of applications, including medicine and bioremediation.
Traditional Biotechnology vs Modern Biotechnology
The difference between Traditional biotechnology and Modern biotechnology is that Traditional biotechnology refers to the utilisation of live creatures to generate new things or transform foods and other objects for human use. DNA Fragment, structural and functional genomes, DNA diagnostic probes, and other genetic altering procedures are employed in contemporary biotechnology.
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Traditional biotechnology refers to a variety of old methods for creating new products or modifying current ones by utilizing live organisms.
In its broadest sense, traditional biotechnology can be traced all the way back to humans’ transition from hunter-gatherers to producers.
Modern biotechnology encompasses a variety of procedures that entails the deliberate and controlled manipulation of genes, cells, and live tissue to induce changes in an organism’s genetic make-up or develop new tissues.
Modern biotechnology includes DNA profiling, genome analysis, transgenesis, DNA cloning and it involves the manipulation of genes and living tissues in a controlled environment.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Traditional Biotechnology | Modern Biotechnology |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Traditional biotechnology refers to a variety of old methods for creating new products or modifying current ones by utilizing live organisms. | Modern biotechnology encompasses a variety of procedures that entail the deliberate and controlled manipulation of genes, cells, and live tissue to induce changes in an organism’s genetic make-up or develop new tissues. |
| Examples | Traditional biotechnology includes tissue culture, mutagenesis | Modern biotechnology includes DNA profiling, genome analysis, transgenesis, DNA cloning |
| Uses | Cheese, yoghurt, bread, beer, and wine are all made through breeding animals and crops. To generate enzymes, good bacteria are used. Enzymes are then used in washing powder. | Modern biotechnology is used in a variety of industries, including food, agriculture, forestry, wellness, ecology, minerals, and industrial activities. |
| Involves | Genetic engineering is the process of using natural organisms to produce new foods or improve existing ones for human consumption. | Genes and live tissues are manipulated in a lab setting. |
| Discovery | It was by chance that humans discovered hundreds of years ago how to use natural processes that occur constantly within living cells for their benefit. | In 1953, scientists discovered the structure of DNA and the transfer of genetic knowledge from one person to the next, ushering in the modern world of biotechnology. |
What is Traditional Biotechnology?
People have been making beverages, curd, cheese, cider, wine, and bread without recognising that microorganisms were involved in the process since the ancient period.
Yeasts, moulds, and lactic acid bacteria had used to preserve milk, fruits, and vegetables for ages, and the products have improved people’s lives.
After the First World War, microorganisms were employed for the first time to generate organic molecules such as citric acid.
Through years people discovered how to make use of natural processes that take place constantly in all living organisms, including humans.
Even though they didn’t have a scientific explanation for the processes, they used what they learned in the workplace in their personal life.
For example, they determined that when food matures, it changes in flavour and content while also becoming less tasteless.
Organic fermentation may be utilised to create bread from wheat flour, wine from grape juice, and cheese from milk stored in camel belly bags.
Traditional biotechnology can also include cell cultures products, segments and sub, or different disease-eradication tactics, but current biotechnology has a special focus on industry use of rDNA, cell fusion, and new bioprocessing processes.
For the most critical agronomic characteristics, traditional biotechnology is still the best option. It is due to its easy way and fruitful results with tons of research already done.
What is Modern Biotechnology?
Biotechnology, in its contemporary definition, refers to the application of newly gained abilities in microbiological and biochemical technology to applied biology, i.e., the utilization of biological systems and processes for our benefit.
Biotechnology also refers to industrial procedures that involve the utilization of live cells or their derivatives.
Numerous early and ongoing biotechnological applications employ microbes as agents in certain processes—some natural, some induced—or as sources of valuable products, such as fermentation technology for the manufacture of wine and liquors.
These breakthroughs paved the way for the evolution of biotechnology from the conventional to the contemporary.
In comparison to previous biotechnology approaches, they are allowed for the regulated and faster production of desired alterations in an organism by direct manipulation of its genes.
These breakthroughs, along with developments in technology and science (such as biochemistry and physiology), opened the door to novel biotechnology applications previously unimaginable.
Soil, water, and air pollution can be cleaned up using organisms or organism components. In New Zealand, bioremediation has been advocated as a viable option for eliminating the pesticide DDT from the groundwater.
The modern field of biotechnology is built on recombinant DNA technology. Modern biotechnology makes use of GE methods including DNA diagnostics tools, gene Cloning, and structural and functional biometrics for genetic manipulation.
Main differences between Traditional Biotechnology and Modern Biotechnology
- Traditional biotechnology refers to a variety of old methods for creating new products or modifying current ones by utilizing live organisms whereas Modern biotechnology encompasses a variety of procedures that entail the deliberate and controlled manipulation of genes, cells, and live tissue to induce changes in an organism’s genetic make-up or develop new tissue.
- Traditional biotechnology includes tissue culture, mutagenesis whereas Modern biotechnology includes DNA profiling, genome analysis, transgenesis, DNA cloning
- Traditional biotechnology makes use of biological ecosystems to generate or change food or other valuable items for human consumption, whereas Modern Biotechnology manipulates genes and live tissues in a sterile environment.
- While in traditional biotechnology, people discovered centuries ago how to exploit the organic processes that occur constantly within living tissue by chance, the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and the transmitting of genetic information from one generation to the next have been discovered in 1953, and it was the beginning of modern biotechnology.
- Traditional biotechnology involves breeding animals and crops to make cheese, yoghurt, wheat, lager, and wine, but modern biotechnology applies current biotechnology methods to food, farming, forestry, medicine, the ecology, minerals, and industrial processes as well as food.
- https://allaboutbiotechnology.blogspot.com/2008/06/traditional-biotechnology-vs-new.html
- http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-b-etween-traditional-and-modern-biotech/
- https://www.biologydiscussion.com/biotechnology/difference-between-old-biotechnology-and-modern-biotechnology/15661
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
