生物科技的重要性和前景

The importance of biotechnology and its future

生物科学领域的发展速度的确相当惊人。生物科技研究最为基础的单位是“序列基因配对(sequenced base pairs)”。至1982年,研究者所完成的配对数量约为680000对,到今年年底,这一数目将超过26亿,换句话说,我们在基础知识方面,已提高了4000倍。 但是,研究的深入,也引起了公众的争论,有关生物科技的文章和新闻报道日益增多。目前大多数的讨论都聚集在生物科技最有争议的方面:一种所谓经过基因改造的生物(GMO,genetically modified organism)。

The growth of this scientific field has been truly extraordinary. The basic building blocks of biotechnology research are 'sequenced base pairs.' By 1982, researchers had sequenced about 680,000 base pairs. By the end of this year the number will stand at more than 2.6 billion. In other words, we've had a 4,000 times increase in basic knowledge. But as research grew, so has public debate, as the ever-increasing number of articles and news reports about biotechnology indicate. Much of the discussion currently focuses on a very controversial aspect of biotechnology, the so-called GMOs - genetically modified organisms - and their use in agriculture, that biotechnology is much broader than the GMO issue; that it has a critical role to play in all our futures; and that all of us in business should be advocates for the careful and deliberate advancement of this crucial area of 21st century science. I have greatpassion and excitement for biotechnology because of the enormous potential role it will have in making our future world more sustainable. I say this not as a scientist, but as a business leader of one of the most sustainable industrial institutions in the world. In 2002, DuPont will celebrate its 200th anniversary as a company. We did not achieve this longevity by protecting the 'status quo' of our businesses and products. In fact, this year alone we have divested a major oil company, acquired a world-class automotive coatings company, and will complete the acquisition of the world's largest seed company. Rather, our sustainability is more related to our commitment to core values of safety, environmental stewardship, ethics and the fair treatment of people. In addition, we have maintained a strong commitment to scientific discovery, from the invention of nylon, Neoprene and Teflon(r) in the early part of this century to the discovery of Kevlar(r), Tyvek(r) and Corian(r) in more recent decades. For the past 65 years, through these and many other discoveries, DuPont has been known to the world as the company that brought you 'Better Things for Better Living.' Earlier this year we decided to let that venerable phrase take a rest and adopt a new one - The miracles of science(tm). This new positioning recognizes the importance of science to our past while capturing the promise of new and exciting things yet to come. We answer the frequently-asked question - are we a materials company or a life sciences company? - with the answer that we are a science company.And for the past 20 years, we have been building a world-class capability in biotechnology and molecular biology to complement and enhance our base in chemistry, engineering and information science. That surprises many people, but it shouldn't if they know how DuPont does things. While many think of us as a 'chemical' company, the margins for our products are typically 20-25 percent higher than those of chemical companies. That's because we learned in this century how to combine physics and chemistry to create new materials. We plan to do the same thing with biology in the next century. So far our focus in biology has been primarily on genetic enhancements that can improve the nutritional and health qualities of food. But we have developed a growing pipeline of technologies to produce materials like polyester from plants and microbes and bio-processes that eliminate many of the shortcomings of classical chemical processes. As we look ahead, the possibilities are endless.* DuPont is on a journey to become a 'sustainable growth' company - one that creates increasing shareholder and societal value while reducing its environmental footprint - what many refer to as environmental impact. I believe that biotechnology will be a critical enabling technology for us to achieve 'sustainable growth.'* The current public debate over biotechnology has been narrowly focused on the genetic enhancement of food and primarily about risk. I believe that this debate needs to be expanded to include the broader potential uses of biotechnology, and to include a full discussion of benefits as well