The first molecular and cellular tools of modern biotechnology emerged in the 1960s and ’70s. A fledgling “biotech” industry began to coalesce in the mid- to late 1970s. Modern biotechnology stands in contrast to older forms of “biotechnology,” which emerged thousands of years ago, when humans began to domesticate plants and animals. Humans have also long tapped the biological processes of microorganisms to make bread, alcoholic beverages, and cheese.