Exploring temporal relationships between scientific and technical fronts: a case of biotechnology field

Biotechnology is an expanding interdisciplinary field in which the interactions of science and technology (S&T) are more and more intensified. Question raised regarding the dynamic interactions between S&T encourages us to propose a series of methodologies for examination. Using high-impact publications and patents as the proxy measures, two document sets are transformed into the scientific and technical front trajectories respectively, and then each subject is categorized into either basic science, or applied technology, or co-existence. The results show that, in the biotechnology field, subjects of embryonic or mesenchymal stem cells, RNA interference, microRNA, and microbial fuel cell are in the basic science phase; those of plant breeding, seed diversity, and taste receptors have been applied to practice. There also exists interactions between S&T in the subjects of disease treatment and gene analysis platform, in which the behavior of technology precedes science, science precedes technology, or synchronous development can be observed.