When and where did biotechnology start?

Answer 1

It started with the creation of the first recombinant bacteria in 1973, E .coli expressing a salmonella gene. This led to concerns in the scientific community about potential risks from genetic engineering which have been thoroughly discussed at the Asilomar Conference in Pacific Grove, California in February 1975. Herbert Boyer then founded the first company to use recombinant DNA technology, Genentech, and in 1978 the company announced the creation of an E. coli strain producing the human protein insulin. In 1986, field tests of bacteria genetically engineered to protect plants from frost damage (ice-minus bacteria) at a small biotechnology company called Advanced Genetic Sciences of Oakland, California, were repeatedly delayed by opponents of biotechnology. In the same year, a proposed field test of a microbe genetically engineered for a pest resistance protein by Monsanto was dropped.

Answer 2

Biotechnology as a field began in the 1970s, with the commercialization of recombinant DNA technology. This technology allowed scientists to manipulate and transfer genetic material between organisms. The early advancements in biotechnology took place mainly in academic and research institutions in the United States.