Are Tiny Cellular Factories the Next Industrial Revolution?
It’s All Getting a Bit Microscopic
I’ve seen my fair share of so called revolutions in manufacturing. Most of them turn out to be little more than a new lick of paint on the same old clanking machinery. But every now and then, something comes along that feels genuinely different. This time, it seems the revolution won’t be televised, it will be fermented. We’re talking about synthetic biology, the rather clever idea of reprogramming living cells to make things for us.
Forget vast, polluting chemical plants that look like something out of a dystopian film. Instead, picture a vat of yeast, not unlike the one that brews your favourite pint. Only this yeast isn't making beer. It’s been programmed, its very DNA edited, to churn out anything from fragrances and flavours to jet fuel components. It sounds like science fiction, I know, but it’s happening right now. Companies are essentially turning microorganisms into the world’s smallest, most efficient factory workers. They don’t ask for tea breaks, and their only raw material is often just sugar.
