AN OVERVIEW OF BIOTECHNOLOGY


healthy. The scientist who showed me the seedlings said that he had tested
80 different isolates of VAM. Of these, six performed very well. The re-
mainder were not much better than controls. Evidently much is to be
gained in the health of plants and their growth by application of rhizobia
and mycorrhyzae. In addition, the optimum symbiont for a given crop is
probably a function of local conditions. Ultimately, it may be possible to
engineer better symbionts, but it is also desirable to understand better the
treasures that nature has already provided.


 PERSPECTIVE AND CONCLUSIONS

 Much of the future of biotechnology will be shaped by legal and regula-
tory considerations. In turn, the regulatory environment will be shaped by
the tides of public opinion. It is probable that when there is a clear-cut
obvious benefit, such as cure for a disease, the public will applaud. How-
ever, the public is easily made apprehensive, and proposals to release engi-
neered microorganisms into the environment are likely to encounter tough
going.
 Probably the biggest factor shaping the future of biotechnology will be
the patent situation. An enormous number of patents have been applied
for and doing so has become highly fashionable. The 1984 report of
Genentech stated that they had received 100 patents and had 2,000 appli-
cations pending. The 1985 report of Cetus mentioned 1,000 applications.
Cetus press releases indicate that they have been successful in quite a few
applications. Annual reports of other companies mention patents. It is
likely that in coming years a considerable troop of lawyers will dine well
on biotechnology.
 Tremendous progress is being made in the application of fundamental
knowledge. But because of the need for caution when preparing and ad-
ministering therapeutics, the time required will be long for full demonstra-
tion of the power of recombinant DNA technology. Gene engineering is
here, and it holds great promise. Monoclonal antibodies are already im-
proving the practice of medicine. Tissue culture has been sufficiently suc-
cessful that there is no doubt that it will have a great impact on world
agriculture. The study and use of soil microorganisms will likewise make a
major contribution. Those engaged in biotechnology are active in an area
where great things have happened and will continue to happen.