Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame has today launched a new
Foresight report, Engineering Biology Aspirations, which
highlights the transformative potential of Engineering Biology
(EngBio) to address some of the major challenges of our time –
from lab-grown blood to biologically derived materials for
fashion.
This fast-moving, innovative technology applies engineering
principles to the design of biological systems and processes. It
can create practical solutions to some of society's biggest
challenges, addressing issues faced by people and the planet,
both now and in the future.
The report, published by the Government Office for Science,
examines how we can harness EngBio to create a more sustainable
future, helping to solve problems in areas such as healthcare,
environmental sustainability, agriculture and energy.
Read the Engineering Biology
Aspirations report.
Science Minister said:
This is a timely report. Engineering biology is a technology with
enormous potential, and it is already delivering innovations from
healthcare to clean energy, supporting the missions that underpin
this Government's Plan for Change.
Our commitment to the UK's burgeoning engineering biology sector
is clear: from £100 million investment in the Engineering Biology
Mission Hubs and Awards, to efforts to improve the regulation of
this critical technology, including through the new Regulatory
Innovation Office.
Commenting on the report, Government Chief Scientific
Adviser, Professor Dame said:
Engineering biology has the power to drive economic growth and
deliver transformative solutions to a wide range of challenges.
This report aims be a source of inspiration across Government,
industry, academia and the public, demonstrating what might be
possible if we can harness the opportunities offered by
engineering biology.
The paper features expert-authored chapters that consider how
EngBio can aid efforts to solve global challenges. One examines
the revolutionary solutions that lab-grown blood could present.
Another explores how biologically derived fashion materials could
reduce environmental pollution to create a more sustainable
industry. Further chapters include how nitrogen-fixing cereals
could produce a new sustainable generation of crops, and how
microbes can help solve metal scarcity and be manufactured to
create sustainable fuels and chemicals from waste.
As the report highlights, although there is still progress to be
made, with continued research, development, scale-up, and
regulatory considerations, EngBio can help to address some of the
most pressing challenges of our time.
The “Engineering Biology Aspirations” report is a result of
cross-Government work and collaboration with leading scientists
to understand this transformative technology and its vast
applications.
