More interdisciplinary, digital and data-rich approaches to life sciences are accelerating the understanding of living matter and predictably manipulating the future
Our progress in harnessing and manipulating life processes in agriculture, medicine, and manufacturing has been incremental over the centuries, with breakthroughs in understanding brought about by key discoveries such as Mendelian genetics, biological theory, and DNA. These leaps forward have been made possible by the development and acceptance of novel tools and algorithms for detecting, imaging, and manipulating biological systems.
In the future, the life sciences will become more interdisciplinary and provide efficient and intensive access to data that will enhance the understanding and manipulation of biological matter. Scientists are increasingly viewing genetic instructions as a computational code and incorporating insights and new tools from the field of computational science. The combination of these disciplines with cognitive science, nanotechnology and physics is driving new leaps in our understanding. It is expected that the collective application of these different technologies in the life sciences, known as “bio-convergence”, will accelerate discovery, and predictability in biotechnology design and production.
This interdisciplinary approach enables the visualization, measurement, identification, and manipulation of biological systems at the molecular scale, treating the genetic instructions in DNA, RNA, and amino acids as a language that can be written, edited, and executed with high precision to synthesize useful materials or organisms. Collecting, digitizing, storing, and analyzing genetic instructions from thousands of individuals, called “genomes,” as well as their physical, mental, and health characteristics, to correlate, for example, how specific genetic instructions interact with the environment to produce different traits, thus combining complex biotic and abiotic processes.
In 2019, the global bioeconomy, i.e. all activities driven by research and innovation in life sciences and biotechnology, accounted for about 6% of global GDP, or about $5 trillion. By 2030, the world’s bioeconomy could exceed $20 trillion, based on a trend of 10-15% annual revenue growth. At the same time, lower costs of enabling technologies may drive wider biotechnology adoption and increase global accessibility and ubiquity.
Over the next two decades, scientists and industry experts anticipate that biotechnology may lead to many breakthroughs. These applications promise to improve health and living conditions, but they are also accompanied by potential social unrest, ethical concerns, or security challenges. Each of these applications would require both technological advances and human decision-making to determine their practical application. Let us briefly share with you some of the currently visible biotech content, applications, and possible negatives.
Digital healthcare and precision medicine
Healthcare professionals, medical diagnostics, and personal Internet of Things (IoT) devices are collecting more and more health data. This information is fused with other personal information, digitally recorded behaviors, and network metrics to greatly improve the prediction of new diseases, as well as treatment outcomes. Nonetheless, such data fusion may allow the user to infer genetic characteristics of the assessed person based on his or her biometrics, assessed or predicted health status, which may also result in the potential for personal targeting or discrimination. Regulations in some countries limit the development of such technologies because of the potential for social and human rights inequalities.
Bio-organs and other bio-prints for personalized therapy
Therapies that use genetic and cellular engineering to treat specific individuals, known as customized medical therapies, are already available for the treatment of certain diseases, and these technologies will be able to continue to expand the range of diseases and therapies addressed to include 3D printing of tissues, and the creation of genetically customized animals suitable for transplantation of human organs. While these treatments are expensive and the audience will be small, they are likely to be more cost-effective and efficient than decades of chronic disease treatment.
As a result, the inequality in access to state-of-the-art technology, which is affected by greater or lesser wealth, could make healthcare equality a topic of public debate.
Reproductive engineering to enhance human traits and performance
Technologies already exist to select or reject fertilized human embryos based on desired genetic traits, and it is becoming increasingly possible to genetically modify human life at these embryonic stages. Currently, much of the practice in this field is focused on avoiding adverse health outcomes and selecting desirable embryos.
But as the cost of these procedures decreases, and their reliability increases, people and societies may not be able to resist the temptation to select and genetically modify embryos on the grounds of protecting the competitive advantage of their children, or altering the health and productivity advantages of entire populations. It is predicted that by 2030, traits such as height, eye or hair color, and perhaps even intelligence or personality, will be able to be selected and modified at the embryonic stage.
These practices may intersect with significant cultural and moral divides, may be applied to specific populations, and may create inequalities within and between nations.
Ecological engineering
Plants, animals, and microorganisms can be selected and modified to stabilize the environment, reduce the impact of human influence, or increase productivity. Ecosystems can be engineered to, for example, consume less fresh water, require less arable land, or enable the production of food, materials, and even energy in previously unproductive or inefficient environments. Genetic modification has already enabled crop production in areas where seawater has eroded, or where farming has never been practiced. This application of biotechnology has demonstrated its great potential to address needs and reduce conflict.
But harmful applications of genetic modification are also possible. Future risks include increased pressure on fragile ecosystems, displacement of native plant and animal species, and impacts on consumer health. Large industrial actors that are able to overcome regulation and monopolize technologies and markets are more likely to be motivated by profit, or by state action for some monopolistic purpose.
Human-machine enhanced interfaces
The fusion of machine and human capabilities is occurring in different forms and at different levels of integration. It is a non-invasive or virtual stimulation or augmentation of physical, visual, tactile, and auditory senses through gloves, glasses, and head-mounted devices. It is becoming especially common in gaming, learning, and telecommuting.
For example, electroencephalographs, electrical or magnetic transmitters worn on the head can enable stimulation and detection of brain activity in order to make the desired adjustments and manipulations, with the aim of enhancing perception, memory and attention.
Also now available is the ability to connect the brain or neural tissue directly to micro machines, an invasive neural interface often used to correct neurological disorders, even though all forms of brain-computer interaction currently take place at very low data transfer rates. For example, in April 2022, in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, it was discovered that by linking external devices to adjust the stimulation position and parameters of the electric current, the depth of the brain data of a depressed patient is continuously collected and exported, so as to realize the precise stimulation treatment for the depressed aspirant, while the patient uses the cell phone app to remotely control his own brain pacemaker inside the right chest, to carry out the switching of the working and resting modes, while the patient himself can The patient himself can adjust the parameters according to needs and intensity.
The future goal of research and development of human-computer networks is to dramatically increase data transfer rates and extend the range and depth of human perception and cognitive abilities. While these hybrid systems may initially be used for medical treatments to overcome neurological disorders, non-medical uses are also being explored.
New uses may include new forms of social interaction, entertainment, and tools that provide a competitive advantage to “advanced users” who can use these systems to quickly solve problems or gain an edge in the marketplace. As the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” of human-computer augmented interfaces grows, new cultural, social, and labor tensions may arise.
Biomanufacturing of biomaterials and devices
Automation and data-driven elements are increasingly being incorporated into biotechnology. Automated molecular assembly techniques using DNA and other biomolecules, for example, will further advance engineering and design capabilities into nanoscale applications and accelerate the convergence of biological and digital technologies.
Automation has become routine in some current industrial processes, such as the manufacture of chemical raw materials, fermentation, enzyme processing, and pharmaceutical production. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) used in industry and agriculture are consumed as food, albeit often with labeling or regulatory restrictions. Most developed countries have implemented policies requiring labeling of GMO products.
Just as genetic modification may make it possible to produce while using less fresh water or land, it can also enhance or adjust yields in enriched environments, for example by reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, or by making possible new environmentally friendly methods of production that create fewer atmospheric greenhouse gases. For example, biomodified plants or fungi can be used as raw materials for synthetic meats, cheeses or leather, thus reducing time and resource consumption.
We are also mindful that these biofactories may increase pressure on other resources, such as water or arable land, as well as potentially unpredictable ecological risks. They will also be subject to regulation, market demand, technological constraints and competition from emerging alternatives.
New avenues for innovative medical technology
A variety of technologies are improving established medical techniques and disease treatments. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are accelerating diagnosis and treatment through the automation of medical imaging and medical records. Novel devices such as micro-robots, wireless sensors and drug release systems are already capable of performing precise therapeutic and monitoring tasks within the body. However, these new technologies may also introduce new risks and inequalities, such as reliance on remote healthcare access and new forms of automation of medical decision-making, which may lead to inequalities in the benefits and well-being of populations in terms of health and healthcare.
Biomaterials for novel manufacturing and construction materials
Biomaterials and biomanufacturing technologies have been used in research and commercialization to create a variety of materials, including degradable polymers, enzymes, cellulose, and wood substitutes. Biomaterials can be used for high-strength, low-cost products such as fiberboard and plastics, as well as novel products such as biodegradable electronics, and bioprinted tissues and organs. The manufacture and use of these materials will help reduce dependence on oil, metals, and other finite resources. However, there is also data showing that the degradation of new bioplastics releases more greenhouse gases than traditional plastics, and some as yet unknown health effects.
Vertical farming
In vertical farming, crops are grown in large buildings in a precisely controlled environment with LED lighting to simulate sunlight and soilless systems. This reduces the need for land, water, and chemicals, and also reduces the carbon emissions associated with traditional agriculture. In addition, vertical farming can enable the production of crops closer to cities, thereby reducing transportation distances and food waste. However, vertical farming can require large amounts of energy, especially electricity, which can increase dependence on fossil fuels and thus have a negative impact on the environment. In addition, due to the high cost of equipment and infrastructure, vertical farming may lead to further monopolization of agricultural production, to the detriment of small farmers.
In the end
Developments in biotechnology may have far-reaching individual, societal, and global impacts that will manifest themselves over the next 20 years. Biotechnology promises to improve the efficiency of healthcare, reduce environmental stress, and drive the development of new materials and energy sources, but it may also raise ethical controversies, social inequalities, and environmental risks. In addressing these issues, the international community will face a number of challenges, including regulating the application of the technology, ensuring fair and equitable access, and promoting international cooperation and knowledge sharing. Economic, social and political factors will all affect the pace and focus of biotechnology research and the availability of products.