The West Bengal Government has taken up a project to set up three biotechnology hubs across the state to bring in more biotechnology innovations to the State. The three proposed biotechnology hubs will come in Bardhaman, Kalimpong and Medinipur districts; they will help in the co-ordination of various departments with the Biotechnology Department in a better way.

The Biotechnology Department of the State has already taken up an elaborate scheme to not only tie up with other departments like Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing to increase the productivity and quality of various products, but to also provide germ-free food to the common people.

Did You Know?

• The term “biotechnology” is thought to have been first used in 1919 by Karoly Ereky.
• As new practices in biotechnology occur, additional subfields of the science have been created, including genomics, gene therapy, immunology, and more.
• While pharmaceuticals like antibiotics, insulin, and vaccines can be considered biotechnology uses, innovations like gene therapy and gene suppression would also meet that definition.
• Biotechnology does have its critics, as there is currently a movement to ban and avoid genetically modified foods grown through genetically altered agriculture.
• A labeling system was implemented in the US that requires genetically altered produce to be labeled as such.