Bio-tech - short for biological technology - is the studying and application of biological sciences to real-world subjects.

This can include people, animals, and even plants.

The study and ongoing engineering of plants are especially important for agricultural producers - advancements with crops can mean better yields, hardier plants, and a better harvest at the end of the year.

That's just the start of what investment in bio-tech can mean, according to Karen Churchill president and CEO of Ag-West Bio.

"It's interesting because we hear a lot about ag tech and ag-tech means different things to different groups, depending on who you're speaking to. For us at Ag-West Bio, technology is using science to have practical outcomes that are a benefit to us, and that's usually in the biological sciences," said Churchill, "So we would think of new methods to create better plants, there are areas where you can increase animal health, choose better feed or choose better feed."

One area that biotech has a good handle on is curbing the number of emissions given off in a variety of processes.

The most important focus according to Churchill currently is finding ways to develop new processes of farming that either slow or stop the number of greenhouse gases being emitted.

"Certainly right now climate change and cleantech are very big areas. You can produce more with fewer greenhouse gases, technology to improve fertilizer use, so the less fertilizer you need to use the fewer greenhouse gases you emit, that would be one area where we're working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"There's a lot of work in the cattle side in terms of rotational grazing and feed and how to manage livestock in terms of how you can lower greenhouse gas emissions as well," said Churchill, "More native grasslands and types of crops that fix nitrogen in the soil, those are all really positive things in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Churchill also believes that an important step for agriculture is using the crops that are harvested for even more uses than ever before.

"I see us doing a lot of work in the plant protein space, so using the crops that we grow and finding more and different uses for them," said Churchill, "Whether it be using legumes for proteins while also using the starch, and I think you're going to see a lot of innovation in the food manufacturing space."

The most important part is letting people know that the research is helping them live their lives.

"I think that the more we talk about bio-tech the better," said Churchill, "So the people understand that biotechnology is really doing a lot to help people lower their grocery bills, help the environment, help produce more food sustainably. There is a lot of positives that we should be thinking about and learning more about.