Engineering biology applications for environmental solutions: potential and challenges
David J. Lea‐Smith, Francis Hassard, Frédéric Coulon, Natalie Partridge, Louise Horsfall, Kyle D. J. Parker, R. Smith, Ronan R. McCarthy, Boyd A. McKew, Tony Gutiérrez, Vinod Kumar, Gabriela Dotro, Zhugen Yang, EBIC partners, Thomas P. Curtis, Peter Golyshin, Sonia Heaven, Bruce Jefferson, Paul Jeffrey, Davey L. Jones, Kristell Le Corre Pidou, Yongqiang Liu, Tao Lyu, Cindy Smith, Alexander Yakunin, Yue Zhang, Natalio Krasnogor
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.