Genetic engineering has given rise to technologies that were unthinkable
barely two decades ago: recombinant antibodies to fi ght cancer, the isolation
of genes responsible for genetic diseases, the synthesis of unlimited quantities
of therapeutic agents, human hormones and critical blood factors in bacterial
“factories,” the creation of genetically engineered plants and animals, and
the decoding of the human genome—only a few examples of technologies
that have been realized even at the time of the fi rst printing of this dictionary.
Much of the research in biotechnology and genetic engineering has moved
from the academic world into the industrial setting. As a consequence, many
new and potential applications are in the hands of private enterprises where,
fueled by more substantial funding and motivated by the forces of the marketplace,
the development of new products has reached an explosive pace.