Scientists get some of their best ideas from biology. Whether that be using bacteria to help make food or gene editing to cure disease, biotechnology uses the tools in biology to make amazing technology. This resource is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

This lesson will be used to help students explore the bioethics of biotechnology. With a team, students choose a renewable alternative energy source such as cloning, stem cell research, DNA fingerprinting, or others and research the pros and cons of that biotechnology.

The team then splits into debate teams and draws straws to determine whether they are on the "pro" or "con" side. They will debate in front of the class allowing others in the class to learn about both sides.

Biotechnology is a large scientific field that uses research tools from chemistry and biology to study or solve problems, including human disease. Biotechnologies may be used to study the genetic material of viruses and bacteria to determine whether a disease is caused by particular disease-producing agents. Its techniques are also used to understand how genetic factors contribute to human disease. The information gathered in research can be used to develop diagnostic tests that enable speedy detection and identification of a disease so that an appropriate treatment can be developed. It can also help doctors screen their patients' genomes (all of an organism's genes) for existing diseases or a predisposition for diseases such as cancer.The standards for the Biotechnology Research and Development Pathway and related courses apply to occupations and functions in biotechnology research and development that apply primarily to human health. The standards specify the knowledge and skills common to occupations in this pathway. Students participating in a strong, industy-driven Biotechnology program can expect to conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Additionally, students may use extended technologies to design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information pertinent to this field.

Jobs in drug discovery and bioscience use math, biology and computer science to improve the lives of very sick people in a faster, safer way. If you do well in these subjects, this might be the field for you!