Article written by Miguel Romano – Biotechnology Market Manager at GAIKER – See original
Finding out more about the human and environmental microbiome has emerged as one of the most promising areas of modern biotechnology. Everything around us is inhabited by complex communities of micro-organisms that have a critical effect on health, ecosystems and food production.
For decades, the study of micro-organisms has been limited to traditional culture techniques, which provide only a partial view of the microbial world. However, the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and the bioinformatics tools that allow us to process them have revolutionised our understanding of microbial diversity and utility, opening the door to new applications that have transformed sectors such as health, agriculture and food.
This knowledge has fuelled a multi-billion dollar industry focused on characterising and modulating microbial communities for our benefit. However, there is still a vast area to explore in terms of applying this knowledge to improving sustainability, using natural resources efficiently and reducing waste generation across multiple production sectors.
Microbial biotechnology is seen as a strategic tool for tackling the major challenges of the 21st century and represents an enormous commercial opportunity, both for developing new products and providing specialist analysis, process design and technology consultancy services. In this sense, GAIKER has the scientific and technological capabilities needed to support companies and institutions in this transition, by designing solutions that respond to the global challenges of health, food, the circular economy and climate change mitigation.
In short, at GAIKER we are confident about the future of the bioeconomy and are ready to lead this change. Committing to microbial research is not only an investment in innovation, but also a key contribution to the global wellbeing and sustainability of the planet. In an environment marked by the need for efficient, responsible solutions, microbiology is emerging as a new scientific and commercial breakthrough capable of transforming entire industries.
