4. Perspectives and conclusions

Whether traditional, with fermented foods, or modern, with the advent of genetic engineering, biotechnologies play an important role in our society. Although advances in biology have been improving techniques and making them highly effective since 1900, it wasn't until 1970 that the rise of molecular biology revolutionized biotechnology. Since then, biotechnologies have been used in the health and food sectors, as well as in agriculture and the environment.

The mastery of cell culture techniques, combined with genetic engineering and computer technology, enabled biotechnology to reach an industrial dimension, with processes characterized by mass production of products of consistent quality. Today, the biotechnology industry comprises three main sectors: green biotechnology concerns agri-food products, red biotechnology develops and produces drugs, and white biotechnology...