Part 3: Potential of Engineering Biology

As the world seeks sustainable solutions to food production challenges, engineering biology is emerging as a transformative approach. Experts like Dr. Benjamin Scott from the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) and Alejandro Barbarini from ERGO highlight the immense potential of this technology to create additional value throughout the agriculture value stream and new solutions for food production. Engineered biology, through innovations like precision fermentation and plant cell cultivation, offers promising avenues for producing valuable biomolecules and complex proteins more sustainably and efficiently.

?Engineering biology has a huge potential, Ben shares his thoughts on what are needed for Canada to capture this opportunity.?

?“Two big things: communication and direct investment."?

"Most people are unaware of engineering biology’s potential, and generally only hear about agricultural biotechnology through debate and misinformation around GMOs. Which is unfortunate because it oversimplifies the conversation and overlooks the vast potential benefits. I think everyone fundamentally agrees that we need to produce healthy food as sustainably as we can. So, I feel that by promoting transparency, addressing concerns, and highlighting the positive impacts, we can shift the narrative towards harnessing engineering biology to create a more resilient and environmentally friendly future.?

Direct investment is also needed, from public and private sources. Public sources are crucial for funding major infrastructure and taking chances on discovery driven research. While private sources are needed to help this technology scale, and increasingly philanthropic funding is helping to spur really groundbreaking work. GIFS is in a unique position as a bridge between private and public, so we need partners and stakeholders in both sectors.?

There’s already been massive investment in engineering biology, on the order of many billions of dollars, happening in other countries. We need that here in Canada if we’re to remain globally competitive. Which is why I’m proud to contribute to that at GIFS, and why I think what GAAP is also working on here in Saskatoon is a huge step in the right direction.”?

Ergo shares where they see the future going and how plant cell cultivation will help with many limitations.???

“Pushing Boundaries: Currently, in various industries such as Food, Pharmaceuticals, Nutrition, or Personal Care, there are limitations in product functionalities that can only be addressed by complex animal proteins. These proteins cannot be replicated by simple organisms like bacteria or yeast and producing them using mammalian cell cultivation would be economically unfeasible. Plant cell cultivation offers the possibility to overcome these limitations, combining the best of two worlds: easy cultivation in traditional reactors (like bacteria or yeast) and possessing a protein expression machinery almost identical to mammalian cells. Additionally, there are hundreds of thousands of different plant species, each producing various biomolecules that can be of nutritional, therapeutic interest, or contribute unique fragrance, aroma, flavor, and texture properties. Many of these molecules are yet to be discovered. Therefore, whether it's complex animal protein expression or plant biomolecule production, plant cell cultivation has an exponential growth capacity.?

The key will be process optimization and focusing on high-value applications that allow for scale and volume expansion, followed by broader applications with lower added value. However, plant cell cultivation undoubtedly offers the wonderful possibility of efficiently producing biomolecules that other platforms cannot, as well as the powerful ability to dissociate plant molecule production from open-field agriculture.”?

As the world continues to prioritize sustainability, engineering biology is emerging as a key player in revolutionizing food production and addressing environmental challenges. Ben Scott from the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) and Alejandro Barbarini from Ergo Biosciences discussed the transformative potential of this technology. Ben emphasized that to capture this opportunity, Canada needs effective communication and substantial investment.?

Alejandro highlighted the future prospects of plant cell cultivation, a method that holds the promise to overcome current limitations in producing complex animal proteins and valuable biomolecules. By optimizing processes and focusing on high-value applications, plant cell cultivation can revolutionize industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and personal care, all while contributing to environmental sustainability. Engineering biology represents a monumental step towards a sustainable future. Ben Scott and Alejandro Barbarini shared the importance of strategic investment and innovation in harnessing this technology’s full potential.?

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