| Sumario: | Biotechnology refers to the manipulation of living organisms and their constituents to benefit mankind. Traditional forms of biotechnology, such as alcohol fermentation and selective livestock breeding, have existed since prehistoric times. In the 1970s, scientists developed new techniques to isolate and characterize deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the molecule that acts as a blueprint for the development of all living creatures. This new technology, known as recombinant DNA, or gene cloning, has allowed scientists to achieve hitherto unprecedented control over living systems. The transfer of new genetic information into living organisms provides the means to create improved crop species and livestock breeds, to produce valuable pharmaceuticals and natural products, and perhaps even to cure human genetic diseases. China was still in the throes of the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, and thus, Chinese scientists had little chance to participate in the development of modern biotechnology. But in the past decade, China has chosen economic reform and development over political ideology by emphasizing the Four Modernizations of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. In just the past 5 years, Chinese leaders have made biotechnology the top priority in the high technology field. Funding for biological research has been increased more than 25-fold during this period, and new mechanisms have been introduced to allocate these monies by competitive, peer-reviewed grants. At the present time, China's investment in biotechnology, as a percentage of its gross national product, is comparable to that in many Western countries.
|
|---|
