Biotechnology is the application of scientific and engineering principles to the production of materials by biological agents.
Knowledge and publicity of this relatively new branch of science increased with the foundation of the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology in June 1988.
According to Dr. Albert Y. Chang, director of the institute, it is essential to develop biotechnology should Hong Kong wants its industries to continue to prosper.
Therefore, the institute's mission is to promote local development of successful biotechnology industries.
"It is obvious that Hong Kong's manufacturing industries are becoming more technologically intensive, which in turn relies heavily on research to sustain their development," said Dr. Chang.
"Our main focus is to provide research and developmental support, as well as to serve as the 'incubator' for the commercialization of biotechnologically based innovations.
"On one hand, we help Hong Kong industries to develop biotechnology which can reduce cost and increase productivity.
"On the other hand, we help organizations and individuals to mass produce their biotechnological products and market them to the Asian-Pacific region."
Meanwhile, the institute is carrying out a plant tissue culture program, aiming at mass production of cells and embryoes of high-value plants, such as ginseng, which otherwise can be very expensive.
Said Dr. Chang: "Mass-produced ginseng cells are added to food and drinks. One notable example is the manufacture of ginseng drinks in Japan.
"The Institute is also interested in mass producing ornamental plants. Lily or gladiolous are chosen as the initial subject matters because they are popular in flower markets.
"By manipulation of temperature, pH value and the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide, production cost and time can be substantially reduced, and product quality can be controlled."
Besides the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology, individuals also take an active part in the biotechnological research.
Dr. Wong Po Keung, senior lecturer in the Department of Biology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, is conducting a research project using bacteria to remove heavy metal in water. The heavy metal usually comes from the disposal of untreated industrial waste into rivers and seas. It can lead to serious water pollution. Nickel is an example of a toxic heavy metal.
According to Dr. Wong, nickel is not degradable, but is easily absorbed by human beings through the food chain. Once ingested, it will cause gene mutations.
The conventional technology to remove nickel is to bury it in landfills. However, it may seep from the landfills, thus creating further problems like pollution.
However, the solution developed by Dr. Wong is much simpler. As nickel ions carry positive charges, they will adhere to the negatively-charged bacteria, which are then attracted by positively-charged magnetite (a black iron oxide compound that is strongly attracted to magnets). Finally, the magnetite can be separated from the water by the use of a strong magnet.
Therefore, the removal process could be very economical and efficient.
Explained Dr. Wong: "One merely needs to have magnetite to immobilize bacteria and a large pot to remove the nickel. This setup can be established even in small factories."
In fact, ancient civilizations already have a long tradition of using detrimental microbial contaminants: Cheese, beer, wine, yogurt, bread, fish sauce and soya-bean sauce are all manufactured with the aid of yeast and bacteria.
Now biotechnology is also used to make or modify products from raw materials for agricultural, industrial, or medical purposes.
For example, dairy cows in the United States are now injected with a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone so that they will produce more milk than ordinary cattle.
Also, the Rice Institute in the Philippines has succeeded in producing a kind of "super rice" which resulted in a 20 percent increase in total harvest.
Besides environmental science and food production, biotechnology is also applied to exploring various aspects of marine biology.
Dr. Chan King Ming, lecturer in Biochemistry at the Chinese University, said, "Marine biotechnology is simply the application of basic research in marine biology for the benefit of human beings.
"The ocean occupies 70 percent of our earth, with many marine species and habitats not yet explored. Indeed, there is great potential for marine biotechnology development," he said.
For instance, new micro-organisms are being researched for pollution control.
"Besides environmental sciences, marine biotechnology also deals with pharmacology. One notable example is the search of anti-cancer drugs from shark fin."
Continued Dr. Chan: "Mariculture is another. It means the increase of marine food production.
"There are several ways of doing so. In brief, we aim at producing species which are disease-resistant, fast-growing and freeze-resistant.
"For example, by genetic transfer technique, salmon can remain active even in extremely cold weather, and thereby increase their growth rate."
Dr. Chan said, "Despite the broad scope of marine biotechnology, there are limitations to its development in Hong Kong.
"There is lack of clean and uncontaminated water for research. Government support and centralized funding are also inadequate," he added.
The lack of financial support is not limited to marine biotechnology. The Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology faces similar constraints.
Its director, Dr. Chang, said, "With insufficient funds, we could only afford short-term projects which can be quickly rewarded.
"Since we are not subsidized by any party, we have to be profit-oriented. This limits our scope of research."
But funding is not the only problem. Food safety is another.
As mentioned above, cows are injected with bovine growth hormones to be more productive in the States, but there is doubt whether the milk produced is safe for consumption.
Furthermore, concerns are raised over the impact of biotechnology on ecology. The genetically altered organisms like freeze-resistant salmon may generate unpredictable changes to the habitats. This may upset the balance of ecosystem.
However, according to Dr. Chan, most biotechnological discoveries are very useful. Benefits would be immeasurable as long as people take precautions towards possible dangers.