Microbes are helping businesses become green

Engineering biology is helping a wide range of industries to deploy and benefit from new molecules. It creates or redesigns biological systems for various uses

Enzymes, microbes and yeast are driving global industries to climate-friendly processes. Engineering biology doesn’t receive the attention it deserves but it is a field that is steadily impacting nearly every industry in the world. Simply put, engineering biology involves using naturally-occurring substances in animals and plants for industrial purposes. Technology has allowed scientists to extract ingredients from nature, edit and sequence DNA and create engineered microorganisms to deploy in several manufacturing applications. 

Several technologies are involved in accelerating this frontier of industrial science, said a recent report by CapGemini Research Institute (CRI) titled ‘Unlocking the Potential of Engineering Biology’. “Engineering biology (also known as synthetic biology) involves the application of principles from biology and engineering, in conjunction with AI (artificial intelligence) and data-driven computational techniques, to create new or redesigned biological systems for valuable purposes,” the report says. The field has a wide range of applications, including engineering microbes for industrial production, crops for agricultural transformation and human cells for therapeutic purposes.

According to CRI advances in DNA synthesis, editing, and sequencing coupled with breakthroughs in AI have improved the speed and accuracy with which biological systems can be engineered while significantly lowering the time and cost to realise them. Health care, agriculture, energy, consumer goods, fashion, mining, automotive, and defence are among industries that have benefited from new molecules created by engineering biology.

US-based Geno developed a plant-based nylon intermediate using engineered microorganisms to replace petroleum-derived nylon. Fermentation converts carbon in plant sugars into a precursor that is used to create renewable, plant-based nylon fibres. Geno partnered with sportswear brand Lululemon Athletica to launch a range of products made of bio-based nylon. Initial assessment shows that bio-based nylon halved carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based nylon. 

Another example is from bio-engineers at Kobe University in Japan. They partnered with polymer manufacturer Kaneka Corporation to use engineered bacteria to produce LAHB, a bioplastic. Combined with PLA (a brittle and non-biodegradable plastic derived from plant biomass) this produces plastics that are biodegradable and more resistant to fractures. Biodegradable plastic could significantly help polluting industries. 

The food industry is adopting bio-engineered materials to create sustainable options and reduce the burden on nature. Dutch nutrition firm DSM and Cargill are partnering to produce stevia, a sweetener traditionally derived from an eponymous plant, by using engineered yeast and fermentation. The method has a 49 per cent lower carbon footprint. 

CRI surveyed 1,100 senior business executives about their interest in engineering biology. Most said that adopting sustainable practices in their industrial processes was the main driving force for adopting bio-solutions. 

Challenges remain in engineering biology. Many companies still don’t have enough knowledge about the impact of microorganisms. Funding for research is short of needs. While a return on investment calculation is important for every company, the long-term benefit of using sustainable products is not factored in. Since bio-engineered microorganisms can be expensive, companies will have to combine their sustainability goal with their profit objectives. Experts say that companies will have to go beyond financial objectives to enhance their use of sustainable materials and microbes. Government regulations also have to align with new breakthroughs. 

Executives surveyed by CRI said that generative AI will strengthen research and development, bringing down the lead time for engineering biology.