The Promise of Biotechnology, Can it Deliver?

By Michelle Lurch-Shaw

What computers were to the 20th century, professors, pundits and politicians say biotechnology will be to the next - revolutionary. It promises to improve our health, deliver more nutritious and abundant crops, clean up the environment and save lives. With 180 biotech companies in the state, some of this revolutionary research and development may very well be generated right here in Iowa. But, where did the biotech phenomenon come from and can it deliver on its promises?

When you consider that biotechnology involves the use of biological organisms, cells or processes to produce goods, it is easy to see that we've actually been using biotechnologies for quite some time, centuries in fact. Take the Sumerians, who in 1750 B.C. used fermentation to produce beer. By harnessing microorganisms, in this case yeast, man has similarly produced wine and bread. For centuries too, farmers have been selectively breeding domestic animals and crossbreeding plants to come up with hardier varieties. In 1926 Iowa's own Henry A. Wallace and a group of businessmen formed Hi-Bred Corn Company, the first company to produce and commercialize hybrid seed. Wallace believed the potential for increased corn yields was through the inbreeding and crossing of different germ plasm to produce a healthier and durable stock. Viewed then with a wide array of skepticism, this form of plant breeding for desired traits has become the benchmark for production agriculture. Though we may not have called it such, all of this is biotechnology.

A pivotal breakthrough for the industry came in 1953 when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the self-replicating structure of DNA. The 1970s and 1980s put biotech on the map for good. At that time, researchers began to successfully merge traditional biology-related scientific disciplines with new technologies such as genetic engineering, new instrumentation and computer science. The result was new tools and techniques that influenced the study, understanding and use of biological systems in unprecedented ways. In 1982 the FDA approved the first biotech drug, Humulin® (genetically engineered insulin) for people with diabetes.

The benefits of biotech are already emerging.

More than 200 million people worldwide have been helped by approximately 80 FDA-approved biotechnology drug products and vaccines. Another 350 products are undergoing human clinical testing to treat cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and other conditions.

In 1999, Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong told the Senate Joint Economic Committee's Biotechnology Summit that he is a living example of the benefits of cancer research.

Agriculture biotechnology has given us vine-ripened, longer-lasting tomatoes, bug-resistant corn, and biopesticides to reduce our dependence on conventional chemical sprays. The European corn borer, bollworm, budworms and the Colorado potato beetle are reported to cause more than one billion dollars worth of crop destruction annually. In 1998, two million fewer acres received insecticides due to Bt-resistant corn varieties. Yield for these Bt-treated acres also showed a 60-million bushel increase.

On an economic front, the industry generated $47 billion in revenue and nearly half a million U.S. jobs in 1999. Biotech companies spent $11 billion on research and development, and generated $10 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments.

However, the need for new biotechnologies continues. The world's population is predicted to double within the next 50 years to more than 12 billion people. The majority of this increase will occur in developing countries where food supplies and nutrition are less than ideal.

On the medical front, oncologists predict that cancer will be the leading cause of death in the developed world in the next century. Traditional therapies such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery have only marginally improved cancer outcomes over the past 30 years.

"From my perspective, the most important impact biotech will make in the next century is in providing a constant supply of quality food," said Walter Fehr, professor of agronomy and director of biotechnology at Iowa State University. "We are not able to find solutions to these problems using conventional methods. Biotechnology gives us new tools. It will also make it possible to develop more nutritious foods."

Medicines and the way we tackle disease will also be impacted, said Carma Herring, research administrator at the Human Gene Therapy Institute. "We are entering a new era of treating the human body. Instead of using the standard methods for treating diseases and symptoms, our goal is to be able to treat patients using new methods and to utilize the body's own immune system to provide therapy and prevent diseases from occurring."

There are more than 1,300 research-driven companies in the United States pursuing new biotechnology applications. Iowa industry experts say local companies are well positioned to deliver on the promises of biotechnology.

Iowa already has a significant presence in agriculture biotechnology, but diversity is one of its assets, said Jack Stalloch, chairman of the Iowa Biotechnology Association. "I am very excited about the role Iowa's biotech sector will have in the years ahead. We have companies on the cutting edge of diverse disciplines, representing a cross section of the life sciences -- from agriculture to medicine."

"The long-term growth prospects of our industry are excellent," Stalloch added. "We are providing excellent jobs at all levels and because the sector is built on intellectual capital, it is clean from an environmental perspective."

"Probably no other state is as well positioned as Iowa to advance the growth of this industry with our world-class research universities, highly skilled technical workers, rapidly growing life sciences industry cluster, and proactive business climate," wrote Gov. Tom Vilsack in a message to delegates of BIO 2000, the nation's largest industry conference, held earlier this year.

Still, some consumers are skeptical or fearful about the growing influence of biotechnology.

For biotech to succeed, products will have to undergo a thorough risk assessment Fehr said. "We have to inform consumers and even discard some products if the risks are too great. Education will be important to help young people and adults evaluate the products instead of the process that created them."

Stalloch agrees. "If biotech is to live up to its promise, we have to engage consumers and citizens in a dialogue. We have to open up our research and show the value of our products," he said.