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Biotechnology is a technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine.

Of the many different definitions available, the one formulated by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the broadest:

“Biotechnology means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.” (Article 2. Use of Terms)

Biotechnology can also be defined as the manipulation of organisms to do practical things and to provide useful products.

One section of biotechnology is the directed use of organisms for the manufacture of organic products (examples include beer, milk products, and skin). Naturally present bacteria are utilized by the mining industry in bioleaching. Biotechnology is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation), and produce biological weapons.

There are also applications of biotechnology that do not use living organisms. Examples are DNA microarrays used in genetics and radioactive tracers used in medicine.

Biomedical Engineering (also known as Bioengineering) is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. It combines the expertise of engineering with medical needs to improve healthcare. It is a less known discipline than other specialties such as electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. An increasing number of universities with an engineering faculty now have a biomedical engineering program or department from the undergraduate to the doctorate level. Traditionally, biomedical engineering has been an interdisciplinary field to specialize in after completing an undergraduate degree in a more traditional discipline of engineering or science. However, undergraduate programs are becoming more widespread.

Research and development is the most common line of work for biomedical engineers and covers a very wide array of fields: bioinformatics, medical imaging, image processing, physiological signal processing, biomechanics, biomaterials, systems analysis, 3-D modeling, etc. Examples of concrete applications of biomedical engineering are the development and manufacture of prostheses, medical devices, diagnostic devices and imaging equipement, laboratory equipment, drugs and other therapies as well as the application of engineering principles to biological science problems.

Clinical engineering is a branch of biomedical engineering for professionals responsible for the management of medical equipment in a hospital. The tasks of a clinical engineer are typically the acquisition and management of medical device inventory, supervising biomedical engineering technicians (BMETs), ensuring that safety and regulatory issues are taken into consideration and serving as a technological consultant for any issues in a hospital where medical devices are concerned. Clinical engineers work closely with the IT department and medical physicists.

Biomedical engineers usually require degrees from recognized universities, and sound knowledge of engineering and human anatomy and physiology. Their jobs often pay well (ranging from US $50,000 to $100,000 per year in 2005). Though the number of biomedical engineers is currently low (under 10,000), the number is expected to rise as modern medicine improves. Universities are now improving their biomedical engineering courses because interest in the field is increasing.