Man's tampering with the ecosystems since the 1900s has turned our fate towards a 6th mass extinction in 4.5 billion years of our planet's existence. If continued, it will strip humankind of all benefits of Earth's biodiversity, collapsing life as we know it. The conventional means of industrialization, urbanization, and globalization were robust designs, but they have led to land conversion, unsustainable supply chains, ecosystem fragmentation, disease transmission cycle interruption, climate change, increased zoonotic spillover, and fuel crisis. Such has been the outcome of the unsustainable practices of huge Petrochemical-based economies.
The UN member states adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Since then, time has cast light on the urgency of the agenda as our world witnesses Australian fires, African locust swarms, Delhi's air, marine plastification, and the global epidemic of metabolic syndromes.
The UN member states adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Since then, time has cast light on the urgency of the agenda as our world witnesses Australian fires, African locust swarms, Delhi's air, marine plastification, and the global epidemic of metabolic syndromes.
Championing sustainability is a game of wits. So, there is a dire need for scientific advancements. According to the UN charter, we all are entitled to the same human rights, but whether we have the right means to deliver equality across dimensions of health, nutrition, clean fuels, sanitation, and the like is the big question. Maybe we do! Our understanding of the circuitry of life has armed us with potential inverse design technology to re-engineer living to facilitate our efforts towards achieving sustainability. Academicians and industrialists now turn towards Synthetic Biology as an industry 5.0 technology.
The accelerated advancements in the Omics sciences, such as Genomics and Proteomics, have given birth to Synthetic Biology, which can help us bio-engineer organisms to carry out sustainable production.
The accelerated advancements in the Omics sciences, such as Genomics and Proteomics, have given birth to Synthetic Biology, which can help us bio-engineer organisms to carry out sustainable production.
Synthetic Biology involves "Designing" new genetic circuits and integrating them into the host's genome to "Build" genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). When "Tested", these circuits, upon expression, yield the desired outcomes through these variants. The generated data helps the scientists "Learn" and improve their circuit designs. This "DBTL" cycle is repeated to make the GMOs more efficient at what we want them to do. Vast amounts of data are generated as a by-product of these iterations.
The sustainable prospects of this science have attracted numerous successful start-ups due to the modern-day demand-side variation and increased scope of "green premiums". These GMOs are incorporated across various production stages as customized micro-organism factories to produce bio-commodities. Such kind of production reduces the overall carbon footprint of the production facilities.
Some examples of such production include using yeast for manufacturing artificial flavoring and surfactants for detergent manufacturing and bacteria for producing anti-malarial drugs, leather, bio-mining agents, dyes, textiles, and self-sufficient crops. Cellular agriculture is being used to optimize our livestock practices. Synthetic microbiomes are being designed as agricultural agents of carbon sequestration and nitrogen fixation. Bio-based chemicals are being tested as alternatives to petrochemicals. Anaerobic digesters are used for food-waste management. Therapeutics based on artificial gene circuits with innovative supply chain designs like bio-foundries encourage environmental sustainability and cheaper healthcare.
But Synthetic Biology's reach isn't limited to its applications imagined today. Advances in this science and other Omics sciences can further the sustainability agenda. Bio-based chemicals could be used to synthesize high-quality de-bondable adhesives that impact the renewability and recyclability of Technology Critical Metals (TCMs); batteries with better half-life could be produced for Electric Vehicles; refined RNA technology will prove effective in genome editing of higher plants that will have increased photosynthetic output and can grow on non-arable lands thereby changing the landscape of agriculture and downtrend land conversion practices; crop detailed know-how of such associations helps us build these "biological gates". However, exploring all possible combinations of these gates and their interactions would require extensive experimentation and resources.
But Synthetic Biology's reach isn't limited to its applications imagined today. Advances in this science and other Omics sciences can further the sustainability agenda. Bio-based chemicals could be used to synthesize high-quality de-bondable adhesives that impact the renewability and recyclability of Technology Critical Metals (TCMs); batteries with better half-life could be produced for Electric Vehicles; refined RNA technology will prove effective in genome editing of higher plants that will have increased photosynthetic output and can grow on non-arable lands thereby changing the landscape of agriculture and downtrend land conversion practices; crop detailed know-how of such associations helps us build these "biological gates". However, exploring all possible combinations of these gates and their interactions would require extensive experimentation and resources.
This is where AI comes in. Machine learning algorithms can predict the outcome of different gate combinations based on existing data, saving time and resources. These algorithms can also identify the most promising combinations for further experimentation, leading to more efficient and effective GMO development.
Furthermore, AI can also help optimize the production process for GMOs. By analyzing data on the production process, AI algorithms can identify areas for improvement and suggest changes to increase efficiency and reduce waste. This not only makes GMO production more sustainable but also more cost-effective for industries.
In summary, Synthetic Biology and AI are powerful tools that can help us achieve sustainability in various industries. From bioengineering organisms for sustainable production to optimizing production processes, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize our approach to sustainability. However, it is crucial to ensure responsible use and regulation of these technologies to avoid any unintended consequences.
In summary, Synthetic Biology and AI are powerful tools that can help us achieve sustainability in various industries. From bioengineering organisms for sustainable production to optimizing production processes, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize our approach to sustainability. However, it is crucial to ensure responsible use and regulation of these technologies to avoid any unintended consequences.