Engineering biology applications for environmental solutions: potential and challenges
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Authors
Hassard, Francis
Coulon, Frederic
Partridge, Natalie
Horsfall, Louise
Parker, Kyle D. J.
Smith, Robert D. J.
McCarthy, Ronan R.
McKew, Boyd A.
Gutierrez, Tony
Kumar, Vinod
Dotro, Gabriella
Yang, Zhugen
Curtis, Thomas P.
Golyshin, Peter
Heaven, Sonia
Jefferson, Bruce
Jeffrey, Paul
Jones, Davey L.
Le Corre Pidou, Kristell
Liu, Yongqiang
Lyu, Tao
Smith, Cindy
Yakunin, Alexander
Zhang, Yue
Krasnogor, Natalio
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Abstract
Engineering biology applies synthetic biology to address global environmental challenges like bioremediation, biosequestration, pollutant monitoring, and resource recovery. This perspective outlines innovations in engineering biology, its integration with other technologies (e.g., nanotechnology, IoT, AI), and commercial ventures leveraging these advancements. We also discuss commercialisation and scaling challenges, biosafety and biosecurity considerations including biocontainment strategies, social and political dimensions, and governance issues that must be addressed for successful real-world implementation. Finally, we highlight future perspectives and propose strategies to overcome existing hurdles, aiming to accelerate the adoption of engineering biology for environmental solutions.