biotechnology

American  

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

noun

1. 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.

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biotechnology British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊˌtɛknəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌbaɪəʊtɛkˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. (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

2. another name for ergonomics

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biotechnology Scientific  

/ bī′ō-tĕk-nŏl′ə-jē /

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. See more at genetic engineering

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Other Word Forms

• biotechnical adjective
• biotechnological adjective
• biotechnologically adverb
• biotechnologist noun

Etymology

Origin of biotechnology

First recorded in 1940–45; bio- + technology

Example Sentences

China is also investing heavily in semiconductors, robotics, biotechnology, quantum computing, and emerging fields such as 6G communications and brain-computer interfaces.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

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 • Feb. 26, 2026

Vir Biotechnology surged 56% after the small biotechnology company recorded a narrower-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter and said it had signed a licensing agreement to develop its prostate cancer treatment with Japan’s Astellas Pharma.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

The story went on to say, “The federal government is permitting a California biotechnology company to license three experimental cancer drugs from Cuba—making an exception to the policy of tightly restricting trade with that country.”

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman