Historically, biotechnology in the Inland Empire was based around agricultural technology including research into fertilization methods and pest control. In the early twentieth century, scientists gained a greater understanding of microbiology which led to new and innovative discoveries including the development of antibiotics. The field of modern biotechnology is generally thought to have begun during the 1970s with innovations in gene manipulation technology. In the Inland Empire, institutions of higher learning including UC Riverside and Loma Linda University became the centers for biotechnology research in the region. In addition to these universities and colleges, several biotech companies currently operate in the I.E. including GeneLux in Redlands and Mammoth Technologies in Moreno Valley.