Biological production by human design
10 Jul 2014 by Evoluted New Media
Paul Gemmill discusses why synthetic biology has become such a growth area and what the research councils are doing to foster this growth in the UK
Competition for dwindling resources, climate change and a growing population are putting increasing pressure on society and our natural environment. Harnessing the power of biology could address some of our biggest challenges, with potential to benefit society and the economy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
Synthetic biology is the design and construction of novel biologically based parts, devices and systems, as well as redesigning existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. It has the potential to deliver important new applications and improve existing industrial processes – resulting in economic growth and job creation.
Building on advances in omic technologies, computational biology and DNA synthesis, it fuses our ever-increasing understanding of genetics and cell biology with the principles of engineering. For the first time, synthetic biology offers the ability to engineer biological systems in a modular, reliable and predictable way, allowing biological units to be shared and reused in different contexts.
This new approach promises to reduce the time, cost and complexity of developing biological systems and products, opening up new opportunities for a range of industrial sectors.
Synthetic biologists are making advances in a wide range of fields, such as medicine, biofuels and renewable materials. Thanks to synthetic biology techniques, copying DNA is now 10,000 times faster than before and researchers have reduced the number of steps needed to create synthetic hormones from 20 to seven. While these specific applications are already emerging, the long-term potential remains largely untapped.
The UK is world-leading in bioscience and was amongst the first to respond to synthetic biology opportunities. Proactive policy development and financial support from the UK Government, Research Councils and Technology Strategy Board (TSB) have made substantial contributions in securing our world-leading position.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has been supporting synthetic biology research since 2007, including extensive work on the ethical, legal and social aspects of the field. In 2012, BBSRC helped to develop the UK Synthetic Biology Roadmap, a strategic framework designed to support the emergence of a world-class synthetic biology research base and vibrant industrial sector in the UK. The roadmap outlines five key recommendations: invest in a network of multidisciplinary centres to establish an outstanding UK resource; build a skilled, energised and well-funded synthetic biology community; invest to accelerate technology responsibility to market; assume a leading international role; and establish a leadership council.
Much progress has already been made. The UK Government has identified synthetic biology as one of the Eight Great Technologies that support science strengths and business capabilities with potential to deliver significant financial return. Furthermore, a leadership council has been established and there has been significant government capital investment in synthetic biology. Building on these achievements, the £50m Synthetic Biology for Growth Programme was developed by the UK Research Councils and includes four key strands: Synthetic Biology Research Centres, capital support for training, capital funding for DNA synthesis and a seed fund.
In November 2013, the Research Councils allocated £10m for the seed fund to enable entrepreneurial scientists to take early stage synthetic biology companies on the journey towards sustainability. It is notably difficult for companies in their infancy to translate basic research into useful products, tools and services. The investment therefore aims to bridge the gap in the road to commercialisation, offering support to help businesses stand on their own.
BBSRC and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have also established new multidisciplinary research centres in synthetic biology in Bristol, Nottingham and through a Cambridge/Norwich partnership. The £40m+ investment will boost national synthetic capacity and ensure diverse expertise to stimulate innovation. The centres will harness this expertise to provide sustainable and efficient routes to produce important chemicals and biologically-based products. In addition, through the Cambridge/Norwich partnership, open technologies for plant synthetic biologies will be developed to contribute to the engineering of new traits in plants.
These centres are already discussing the applications of their work, such as the development of new antibiotics and virus-like particles as new routes to vaccines. The centres also hope to build simple cells from scratch, and reprogram bacteria to perform useful tasks, like sensing environmental pollutants. The centres are working towards a sustainable future, hoping to engineer microorganisms to manufacture the molecules and fuels that modern society needs in a cleaner and greener way.
Other BBSRC initiatives will also increase capacity in this space. BBSRC is a major funding partner in ERASynBio, a network of European and US funding organisations, which have been working together to enhance synthetic biology by structuring and coordinating national efforts and investments. They have been striving to address a broad range of synthetic biology needs including: scientific, technical and social research challenges; community building; training and education; data infrastructure and future industrial needs. By investing in ERASynBio, BBSRC highlights its commitment and progress towards securing the UK’s leading international role in synthetic biology. BBSRC’s funding of the ERASynBio joint calls also leverages UK in the field and allows UK researchers to work with the best synthetic biology researchers in the world.
