Have you ever wondered how much vaccines, antibiotics, and synthetic hormones have impacted and affected our world today? The creation of these three medical stepping stools have evolved in which society depends on every day. Vaccines and antibiotics are constantly protecting each and every community surrounding us, including minorities which aren’t able to gain medical technology. While the development of hormones have given a choice to be who they are and what they want to do with their life.

What are the greatest advancement with regards to vaccines, antibiotics, and hormones?

The first vaccine was made in 1796 by Edward Jenner to battle smallpox. Ever since scientist continued to develop, research, and update vaccines till the present day. Many scientists continued Edwards work of using a live attenuated virus to test and develop more vaccines. It was late in 1948 when a breakthrough was made, and scientists were able to develop combination vaccines. Vital to the safety of children, combination vaccines provided protection to several viruses at once, while at the same time allowing more children to get vaccinated in a shorter amount of time. Recently, an example of advancements in vaccine research was the creation a covid-19 vaccine. Done in the short time frame of a single year and distributing billions of doses within the next year. In the 20th century due to modern scientific advancement and technology advancement, scientists were able to distinguish the differences between viruses and bacteria. Antibiotics were first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, when he accidentally discovered the drug penicillin. This discovery led to the golden era of antibiotics in 1940-1962, a time when many of the antibiotics we have today were introduced. Similar to a virus, bacteria can evolve and mutate, many evolving to create enzymes like B-lactamase, which destroys antibiotic drugs and its properties. Furthermore, advancements were made to counterattack this problem. For example, in North Carolina, a biotechnology company was able to use a bacteria enzyme system called CRISPR against itself. They produced antibiotics loaded with DNA that matches the bacterial genome (genetic information). When it infects the bacteria, it inserts the DNA and “tricks” the system to cut and degrade its own DNA, killing itself. Rifamycins were as well developed, drugs which help to kill bacteria by stopping the microbes from making RNA, a molecule that is essential for the production of protein. Synthetic and bioidentical hormone development started with the idea of birth control for women. In the 1940’s scientist figured out the key role of hormones in the fertility/reproductive cycle involving estrogen and progesterone. Scientists were then able to isolate hormones and study it’s chemical structure, but gaining these hormones were very hard and expensive to do so. Thus, until Russell Marker in 1943 discovered to extract progesterone and estrogen from plants, today known as Marker Degradation the basis of synthetic hormonal production today. In the early 1950’s Frank Colton and Carl Djerassi, took Marker’s work to a second level to create oral dosages, norethindrone, and norethynodrel. Soon after many other hormones were discovered like the growth hormone in the late 1950’s.

(As a continuation of the Covid-19 example, the vaccine distribution first started in January 2021, where on the graph, Covid-19 cases were at its peak spike. Soon after the vaccine was introduced more cases dropped, as more people got vaccinated. Furthermore showing the importance of medical/vaccine advancements.)

 (How bacteria constantly develops resistance, reasoning why the development of antibiotics must continue)

How is this form of biotechnology best used?

Producing vaccines, antibiotics, and hormones have many different beneficial uses in our lives that we are unaware of, but in this paragraph we will discuss some of their best uses within our society today. Producing vaccines has become a stepping stool in society’s development and growth throughout the years after its first creation in 1796. The best use for producing vaccines is protecting people from catching dangerous diseases which could be highly infectious and risky for other minorities in society who are unable to get vaccines. Examples of minorities within society include those with health implications or allergies with the contents of the vaccine, unavailability in certain countries due to lack of materials, and insufficient money to pay for a vaccine where health care isn’t free or insufficient money to consult a doctor. The use of vaccines within communities has proven to dramatically lessen the number of infected cases, and on top of that, once the production of certain vaccines has been mastered they can easily be mass produced allowing more people to be vaccinated at once. They are also best used in building immunity and protection within people’s immune systems which then continues stopping its spread. A great example of vaccine’s best uses is the pandemic, almost endemic, that we currently live in. We are all familiar with the ongoing issue that continues to affect society today, however, has slowly gotten better over time. One of the many factors helping flatten covid’s curve is the development and production of different types of vaccines. The first trial data samples for Covid vaccines were released on July 12th for Moderna vaccines and August 12th for Pfizer vaccines, 8-9 months after Covid was discovered in Wuhan, China. Since then, the covid vaccines have significantly. On the other hand, antibiotics have similar uses as produced vaccines, however, are created and are used differently. Vaccines and antibiotics can both be injected into people, although antibiotics can be taken orally through capsules, tablets, or liquid too. That is because antibiotics almost work immediately after entering our immune systems, and are also best used for fighting off various infectious diseases within our immune systems when our own body strength can no longer be relied on. As various diseases, outbreaks, and seasonal sicknesses continue to spike day by day due to lack of proper hygiene, contamination, and more, bacteria will then easily spread among individuals. Antibiotics has played a big role in quickly and efficiently helping those with weaker immune systems, as well as creating and building immunity that helps protect surrounding communities, not just one’s self. While vaccines and antibiotics are slightly tied together, synthetic hormones are on a completely different spectrum, however, encompasses a wide range of benefits. Synthetic hormones can be used from supporting the developing LGBTQIA+ community, to being the foundation of how women can be supported with various biological needs. They have various benefits including unwanted or unexpected pregnancies such as regulating women’s periods, lowers risks of some types of cancers, helps with polycystic ovarian syndrome, clearing up acne and unwanted hair growth, and more. 

How is this form of biotechnology changing the world as we continue to advance towards the future?

Antibiotics, vaccines, and hormones have and still are changing the world as we advance toward the future. Antibiotics, vaccines, and hormones are all different types of medical treatments used to cure and stop diseases, infections, and certain disorders. Before antibiotics were invented, death and disease was ran rampant, life expectancy was significantly shorter, and bacterial infections were the main causes of death. The invention of antibiotics changed the medical field forever. After antibiotics were used medically, life expectancy rose substantially, and most bacterial infections and diseases were not as harmful or deadly as they previously were considered. Today, progress is still being made in the development of new variations of pre-existing antibiotics to fight bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Vaccines continue to change the world as they cure new diseases and viruses. The invention of vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world from dangerous diseases, some examples include Ebola and COVID-19. Within about a year, scientists were able to develop a vaccine to fight COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine has successfully prevented over 1 million deaths. As new viruses develop naturally and starts infecting and killing people, new vaccines are developed to cure and help people in need. Finally, hormones have been used for many years to help people. Products like insulin and other growth hormones help people with certain biological needs. Other products like birth control help women with unwanted pregnancies. Hormones continue to help the world by providing people with help for certain biological issues. Antibiotics, vaccines and hormones continue to be developed and continue to help people by curing them of diseases, viruses, bacterial infections and other biological problems. They are an incredibly important part of medicine and continue to be effective today.

To conclude, advancements in the medical field have improved quality of life, and have saved the population from many harms and dangers. As they improve their functions and options they continue to support and save lives in every community. As future outbreaks spike like Covid-19, they can help stop the spread and save people from casualties today and in future outcomes.

Bibliography:

“Combination Vaccines.” CDC, 1 Aug. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/combination-vaccines.html#:~:text=Combination%20vaccines%20take%20two%20or,instead%20of%20five%20individual%20shots

Felman, Adam. “Antibiotics: Uses, Resistance, and Side Effects.” Medical News Today, 18 Jan. 2019, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10278.

“Four Stories of Antibacterial Breakthroughs.” Nature, 7 Mar. 2019, http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02475-3.

Gilbert, Natasha. “How the Pill Works.” PBS, 2019, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-how-pill-works/.

“History of Antibiotic Development.” ReAct, http://www.reactgroup.org/toolbox/understand/antibiotics/development-of-antibiotics-as-medicines/.

“Key Vaccine Innovations throughout History.” Atlantic Health, 24 Aug. 2021, http://www.atlantichealthpartners.com/immunization-insights-1/key-vaccine-innovations-throughout-history.

King, Heidi Tyline. “The Pros and Cons of Antibiotics.” Keck Medicine of USC, 3 Oct. 2019, aortic.keckmedicine.org/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-antibiotics/.

“The Development of Synthetic Hormones.” PBS, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-development-synthetic-hormones/