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GAO-23-106648 1 (2023-04-17)

handle is hein.gao/gaoomd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics SCIENCE & TECH SPOTLIGHT: SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY What is it? Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary field of biotechnology that involves engineering the genetic material of organisms-such as viruses, bacteria, yeast, plants, or animals-to have new characteristics. It has the potential to create useful changes in crops, improved drugs, stronger materials, and more efficient industrial processes. Scientists are also exploring the use of synthetic biology to address environmental challenges by engineering organisms to use carbon dioxide, produce biofuels for vehicles, and transform methane into biodegradable plastics. How does it work? Synthetic biology combines engineering principles with existing biotechnology techniques, such as DNA sequencing and genome editing, to modify organisms or create new ones. Scientists use DNA sequencing to read the biological information stored in DNA. As this technology becomes more accurate, faster, and cheaper, scientists are building databases of DNA sequences to help them identify the biological functions of specific pieces of DNA. Complementing this work, advances in computational tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) support rapid and iterative design and testing cycles to replace time-consuming lab experiments. For example, synthetic biologists could use machine learning to better predict the effect of changes they make to an organism. Once equipped with information about the DNA's function, synthetic biologists can edit or create the desired genetic material within an organism using genome-editing tools such as CRISPR. Scientists can make these genetic changes far more rapidly using synthetic biology than with earlier methods, such as selective breeding over multiple generations. Moreover, synthetic biologists are able to retool organisms to have uses they do not currently exhibit in nature. For example, scientists are engineering silkworms to produce spider silk rather than traditional silk (see fig. 1). How mature is it? According to market research, the synthetic biology market could grow from about $10 billion in 2021 to between $37 billion and $100 billion dollars by 2030. In 2019, scientists reached an important milestone by creating a living organism with entirely human-made DNA for the first time. In 2021, scientists created synthetic organisms that could enable living therapeutics in which engineered human or microbial cells treat or cure diseases directly in a patient before degrading at a predetermined time. Researchers across multiple industries have created and commercialized products using synthetic biology. For example, the technology is currently used to engineer proteins that can be used for sustainable fabric. In addition, cheese, cell-cultured meats, and plant-based meat alternatives produced using engineered cells are commercially available in some markets. In medicine, researchers have engineered human immune cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. Synthetic biology also helped enable the rapid design and production of some COVID-19 vaccines based on the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence. Medicine Synthetic genetic material of virus put into a carrier Agriculture New vaccine Improved human health Nutrient providing Reduced bacteria fertilizer use Meaner water Manufacturing Spider Spider DNA integrated into silkworm DNA Ultra-strong parachutes Conservation Coral Coral DNA modified to improve heat tolerance More resilient coral reets Source: GAO analysis (scientific literature). I GAO-23-106648 GAO-23-106648 Synthetic Biology I

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