biotechnology

American

[bahy-oh-tek-nol-uh-jee] / ˌbaɪ oʊ tɛkˈnɒl ə dʒi /

noun

the use of living organisms or other biological systems in the manufacture of drugs or other products or for environmental management, as in waste recycling: includes the use of bioreactors in manufacturing, microorganisms to degrade oil slicks or organic waste, genetically engineered bacteria to produce human hormones, and monoclonal antibodies to identify antigens.

biotechnology British

/ ˌbaɪəʊˌtɛknəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌbaɪəʊtɛkˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

(in industry) the technique of using microorganisms, such as bacteria, to perform chemical processing, such as waste recycling, or to produce other materials, such as beer and wine, cheese, antibiotics, and (using genetic engineering) hormones, vaccines, etc
another name for ergonomics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

biotechnology Scientific

/ bī′ō-tĕk-nŏl′ə-jē /

The use of a living organism to solve an engineering problem or perform an industrial task. Using bacteria that feed on hydrocarbons to clean up an oil spill is one example of biotechnology.
The use of biological substances or techniques to engineer or manufacture a product or substance, as when cells that produce antibodies are cloned in order to study their effects on cancer cells.
See more at genetic engineering

Other Word Forms

biotechnical adjective
biotechnological adjective
biotechnologically adverb
biotechnologist noun

Etymology

Origin of biotechnology

First recorded in 1940–45; bio- + technology

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The AI frenzy has also driven a new wave of listings, spanning companies involved in large language models, robotics and biotechnology.

From The Wall Street Journal

While some members of this genus can cause infections in people or animals, they are also considered promising for biotechnology applications.

From Science Daily

Fears of widespread disruption from artificial intelligence recently reached a tipping point, hitting stocks in industries as disparate as freight, insurance, asset management, healthcare, real estate and even biotechnology.

From MarketWatch

Danaher is a maker of tools and equipment for the biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostic industries.

From Barron's

Danaher, with a market value of over $150 billion, makes a range of products used for advances in biotechnology, life sciences and diagnostics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023