• the life-saving impact of cheap and readily available antibiotics
• having the ability to establish the guilt or innocence of a person based on unimaginably small clues left at the scene of a crime
• potential new treatments for diseases as yet untreatable

It is biotechnology that can make all this possible.

	Copies of a poster on biotechnology have been distributed to all secondary schools in the UK. Download a copy of the poster (you will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view it).
	What is biotechnology? There are many ways of defining this term, used increasingly frequently in modern life. Read on to find details to supplement the information provided on the poster.
	Biotechnology may not be as recent as you think. The timeline here provides an insight into some of the key developments in biotechnology over the last hundred years.
	One of the most powerful uses found for biotechnology is in the field of crime detection. As a tool for detecting the guilty and for defending the innocent, it has already proven its use in many cases. But what are the arguments for and against extending the use of biotechnology in criminal investigations?
	A very new treatment called gene therapy may one day change the prognosis for a whole range of diseases. As a new treatment, it needs testing. At first sight, the arguments about testing such treatments may seem simple – but are they?
	The poster and Web pages contain a wealth of information about biotechnology. When you think you know it all, try this simple quiz to test your knowledge.
	The world of science is constantly changing - and this is especially true for the science of DNA and genetics. Keep up to date with the hottest ideas in DNA technology here.
	The world of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry depend on thousands of people in a whole range of different jobs. Find out here about some of these life enhancing careers.