Animals have been modified to produce drugs that can be recovered from their milk. This approach means humans use animals rather than test tubes to make pharmaceuticals. Benefits include a greater drug supply, possibly at lower production costs. However, some consumers are concerned that milk from such animals would be included in the regular milk supply, and some ethicists question whether this is a justifiable use of animals. Industrial Biotechnology Chemical companies have long used microorganisms as a source of biological catalysts called enzymes.
Many laundry detergents contain enzymes to aid in removing stains.
The microbes that produce these compounds can be modified by traditional selection for more desirable strains, or by recombinant DNA techniques. Instead of petroleum, biorenewable materials such as starch from corn, or whey from cheese-making, can be used to make plastics. Industry uses biomass as feedstocks-building blocks for biodegradable plastics, industrial solvents and specialty lubricants. Oils from crops such as canola or soybean can be modified to produce lubricants that resist extreme temperatures or pressures. In the food industry, plant cells grown in fermenters can produce flavors such as vanilla.