Biotechnology draws upon biochemistry, microbiology, genetics and biochemical engineering to create products and services from biological organisms. The large-scale production of antibiotics has revolutionised healthcare, and biotechnology has now entered a new and exciting phase with the advent of molecular biology and molecular genetics. Recent possibilities for medical applications, such as gene therapy and gene diagnosis, deserve wider consideration than the purely scientific, and this course also aims to promote interest in ethical and societal issues. Scientists with a broad educational background will deliver developments in biotechnology, such as new environmental treatment processes or the production of novel therapeutic agents.