The Century of Biology is upon us

How synthetic biology and emerging bioeconomy promises to make industrial processes cleaner, simpler and more sustainable

It has become part of the accepted wisdom to say that the twentieth century was the century of physics and the twenty-first century will be the century of biology — Freeman Dyson, Our Biotech Future, 2007

The 20th century was the century of physics. It gave us nuclear power, electronics, computers and the internet. However, the 20th century was built on top of fossil fuels, which we used as a source of energy and a starting point for many industrial processes. While we’ve made tremendous progress over the last 100 years, it has come at a cost: a polluted planet with the looming threat of a climate catastrophe on the horizon.

The challenges we are going to face in 21st century will require new ways of thinking and solving problems. One of the most promising and exciting emerging field of engineering is synthetic biology. Synthetic biology represents a radical shift in manufacturing philosophy, emphasizing growth over fabrication. This new approach to bio-based industrial processes promises cleaner…