TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE ELSEVIER Trends in Food Science Technology 15(2004)3-18 GtECHNOLOGY Biotechnologies: past history, The British physicist Lord Kelvin gave as his opinion that if you can define precisely and measure exactly that of which you speak,your opinions can be counted as present state and credible;if not,they must be deemed doubtful. Let me begin with a definition relevant to this discus- sion:"Biotechnologies are processes that seek to pre- future prospects serve or transform biological materials of animal. vegetable,microbial or viral origin into products of commercial,economic,social and/or hygienic utility and value".Bioengineers are men and women qualified to design,develop,operate,maintain and control bio- Joseph H.Hulse technological processes.One could cite instances in which (i)'Biotechnology'is exclusively equated with Visiting Professor in Industrial Biotechnologies, genetic modifications and transgenesis,(ii)"Bio- UMIST,Manchester,UK and at CFTRI,Mysore,India technology"denotes a bioscientific activity that has not and MS Swaminathon Research Foundation,India progressed beyond the research laboratory.In one American dictionary "biotechnology"is defined as synonymous with 'ergonomics':the study of human The paper presents a chronological review of biotechnologies, work in relation to a prevailing environment. ancient and modern.It outlines the discovery of naturally The name 'Biotechnology'first appeared in Yorkshire occurring drugs by Babylonians,Egyptians,Chinese,Greeks and early in the 20th century.A Bureau of Biotechnology Romans,and the evolution of extraction,preservation and began as a consultant laboratory in Leeds which from transformation technologies.It describes how pharmaceuticals 1899 provided advisory services in chemistry and progressed from empiricism,through chemical identification microbiology to fermentation industries in the north of and synthesis to modern advances in genomics,proteomics England. bio-informatics and syntheses by cultured cells from various The two Manchester universities (soon to be fused genetically modified organisms.While biotechnologies for into one)have long and distinguished records in fer- drugs first progressed through chemistry,until relatively mentation biochemistry.In 1912.Dr Chaim Weizmann recently food technologies evolved by mechanisation,the gra- isolated a strain of Clostridium acetobulylicum which dual replacement of human hands by machines.Present and converted carbohydrate into butanol,acetone and predicted industrial demand for bioengineers exceeds supply. ethanol,a discovery extensively used for industrial The cost and complexity of emerging biotechnologies call for production of acetone and butanol. significant revision of curricula and reorganisation of ace- In 1923,Dr Thomas Kennedy Walker welcomed the demic departments related to life sciences and biotechnol- first students into his Department of Fermentation ogies.Urgently needed is active interdisciplinary cooperation Industries,possibly the first of its kind,in what is now in research and development,both in universities and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and industries,cooperation involving biochemists,bioengineers Technology.Later the departmental name was changed mathematicians,computational scientists,systems analysts to Industrial Biochemistry,semantically similar to and specialists in bioinformatics.Bioscientists and bio- biotechnology'.The undergraduate course was an technologists must acquire more sensitive awareness of civil amalgam of bioscience and bioengineering.From 1923 societies concerns and the ability to communicate with until he retired 35 years later,Professor Walker's students private citizens,politicians and the media.Recognising the advanced to senior positions in food,pharmaceutical and inexorably rising demand for reliable health services,for safe related bio-industries in very many countries. and adequate food supplies,present and future opportu- nities for employment in industries devoted to food and The interrelation of food and drugs drug technologies have never been greater. This presentation assumes that most graduates in C 2003 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved. bioengineering will progress to senior positions in food, 0924-2244/$-see front matter C)2003 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved. doi10.1016/50924-22440300157-2Biotechnologies: past history, present state and future prospects Joseph H. Hulse Visiting Professor in Industrial Biotechnologies, UMIST, Manchester, UK and at CFTRI, Mysore, India and MS Swaminathon Research Foundation, India The paper presents a chronological review of biotechnologies, ancient and modern. It outlines the discovery of naturally occurring drugs by Babylonians, Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans, and the evolution of extraction, preservation and transformation technologies. It describes how pharmaceuticals progressed from empiricism, through chemical identification and synthesis to modern advances in genomics, proteomics, bio-informatics and syntheses by cultured cells from various genetically modified organisms. While biotechnologies for drugs first progressed through chemistry, until relatively recently food technologies evolved by mechanisation, the gra￾dual replacement of human hands by machines. Present and predicted industrial demand for bioengineers exceeds supply. The cost and complexity of emerging biotechnologies call for significant revision of curricula and reorganisation of ace￾demic departments related to life sciences and biotechnol￾ogies. Urgently needed is active interdisciplinary cooperation in research and development, both in universities and industries, cooperation involving biochemists, bioengineers, mathematicians, computational scientists, systems analysts and specialists in bioinformatics. Bioscientists and bio￾technologists must acquire more sensitive awareness of civil societies concerns and the ability to communicate with private citizens, politicians and the media. Recognising the inexorably rising demand for reliable health services, for safe and adequate food supplies, present and future opportu￾nities for employment in industries devoted to food and drug technologies have never been greater. # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. The British physicist Lord Kelvin gave as his opinion that if you can define precisely and measure exactly that of which you speak, your opinions can be counted as credible; if not, they must be deemed doubtful. Let me begin with a definition relevant to this discus￾sion: ‘‘Biotechnologies are processes that seek to pre￾serve or transform biological materials of animal, vegetable, microbial or viral origin into products of commercial, economic, social and/or hygienic utility and value’’. Bioengineers are men and women qualified to design, develop, operate, maintain and control bio￾technological processes. One could cite instances in which (i) ‘Biotechnology’ is exclusively equated with genetic modifications and transgenesis, (ii) ‘‘Bio￾technology’’ denotes a bioscientific activity that has not progressed beyond the research laboratory. In one American dictionary ‘‘biotechnology’’ is defined as synonymous with ‘ergonomics’: the study of human work in relation to a prevailing environment. The name ‘Biotechnology’ first appeared in Yorkshire early in the 20th century. A Bureau of Biotechnology began as a consultant laboratory in Leeds which from 1899 provided advisory services in chemistry and microbiology to fermentation industries in the north of England. The two Manchester universities (soon to be fused into one) have long and distinguished records in fer￾mentation biochemistry. In 1912, Dr Chaim Weizmann isolated a strain of Clostridium acetobulylicum which converted carbohydrate into butanol, acetone and ethanol, a discovery extensively used for industrial production of acetone and butanol. In 1923, Dr Thomas Kennedy Walker welcomed the first students into his Department of Fermentation Industries, possibly the first of its kind, in what is now the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Later the departmental name was changed to Industrial Biochemistry, semantically similar to ‘biotechnology’. The undergraduate course was an amalgam of bioscience and bioengineering. From 1923 until he retired 35 years later, Professor Walker’s students advanced to senior positions in food, pharmaceutical and related bio-industries in very many countries. The interrelation of food and drugs This presentation assumes that most graduates in bioengineering will progress to senior positions in food, 0924-2244/$ - see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0924-2244(03)00157-2 Trends in Food Science & Technology 15 (2004) 3–18