About the session
In 2012, the World Economic Forum in Davos listed synthetic biology as an area which is likely to have major impact on the world economy in the future. What is the truth of this statement and what underlies the assertion? This lecture addresses this question and puts it in the context of the related science and engineering - and how this can be applied in relation to industrial translation. What are some of the key drivers of the field, why has this new field arisen in the early part of this century, and how is it different from traditional biology? These questions are addressed in the context of the molecular biology revolution which occurred during the second half of the 20th Century - and continues today. Many of today's important industries are based on oil. The model for these industries and industrial process is, in turn, based on developments in synthetic chemistry during the second half of the 19th Century and the first part of the 20th Century. The demand for oil is increasing rapidly and alternative model for industrial processes is now being developed, based on bio-based feedstocks and synthetic biology, with wide application. Synthetic biology aims to design and engineer biologically based parts, novel devices and systems - as well as redesigning existing, natural biological systems. It is the engineering of biology through systematic design and the application of the engineering tenets of modularity, characterisation standardisation. From an economic standpoint, these developments are important because the new model translates very effectively in knowledge-based industries. For countries with few natural resources but a strong science-and-technology base, this is an attractive model, because it represents a vehicle for new economic development.
