LISTENING A LOOK AHEAD 1 4.5 Listen to the recording and complete the passage. Biotechnology is growing not just in the scope of its (1) ............................... but in the range and power of its (2) ............................... Attention is turning from the study of (3) ............................... to the study of (4) ............................... called proteomics, which may become a new international project for (5) ..............................., leading to a profound expansion of the powers of (6) ................................ In time, (7) ............................... will develop powerful new methods for modifying (8) ..............................., probably with far higher precision and effectiveness than current techniques allow. (9) ............................... power continues to grow, along with developments such as the so-called gene (10) ............................... using DNA as an integrated part of the computing device. Advances in engineering at a very (11) ............................... ..............................., known as nanotechnology (from nanometer, a billionth of a meter), suggest that molecular scale devices may someday be used to modify biological (12) ............................... at the molecular level. For instance, nanotechnology devices may be inserted into the (13) ............................... ............................... to enter cells, where they might ACTIVITIES modify DNA or other (14) ............................... In another area of research, scientists are exploring the possibility that DNA itself may be used as a computer or a data storage (15) ............................... It is impossible to (16) ............................... when new techniques will be developed or what powers they will bring. It is clear, however, that new techniques will (17) ............................... ............................... and that they will converge in their effectiveness to modify (18) ............................... Precisely-designed pharmaceutical (19) ............................... will be available to treat nearly every (20) ......................., often by interrupting them at the molecular level. (21) ............................... ..............................., whether derived from embryos or from patients themselves, will probably be used to regenerate nearly any (22) .............................. or (23) .............................. in the body, perhaps even portions of (24) ................................ The (25) ............................... in patients bodies will be modified, either to (26) ............................... a genetic anomaly that underlies a disease or to trigger a special (27) ....................... in specific cells to (28) ............................... a disease or injury. It is more difficult to foresee the full extent of the long-term (29) ............................... of biotechnology on non-human species, on the (30) ..............................., on colonies of life beyond (31)..............................., and on the human species itself; estimates vary in the extreme. 2 Now answer these questions. 1. What is proteomics? 2. What is nanotechnology? 3. Can you give an example of the use of nanotechnology devices? 4. How will new pharmaceutical products act? 5. What will stem cells be able to do? 6. How will patients genes be modified? 168 Module 4 MOLECULES