Summary:
- Methods of biotechnology can be used for many practical purposes.
- They are used widely in both medicine and agriculture.
- Bacteria can be genetically engineered to produce a human protein.
- Biotechnology has been used to create transgenic crops.
- Transgenic crops are genetically modified with new genes that code for traits useful to humans.
- Scientists have created a transgenic purple tomato that contains a cancer-fighting compound and others that have high levels of antioxidants.
- The new field of synthetic biology is making biology easier to engineer so new functions can be derived from living systems.