Resum
Synthetic biology finds itself in the midst of an era characterized by veritable
exponential growth. The rapid evolution undergone by genomic technologies enables us to interact with life by employing the language of life itself – deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The advances made in sequencing have greatly expanded our
understanding of the biosphere while the quantum leap in writing technologies
have greatly boosted our ability to engineer living systems. Indeed, the feedback
achieved between DNA reading and writing has served to further accelerate this
technological revolution.
Basic science has, as a result, received a major boost, providing it with a much
better understanding of the fundamentals of biology and enabling it to propose
new solutions to the challenges faced by humanity today. The engineering of living systems is providing new therapeutic solutions that are set to impact a growing number of patients. However, the revolution extends beyond the provision of
such therapies as it sets in motion the reinvention of many key sectors, including
information storage, food production, the development of new biomaterials and
the generation of more environmentally friendly industri al processes.
Synthetic biology offers multiple possibilities to address the greatest challenges that the world faces today. The advances being recorded constitute fundamental components of what is being called the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ and
which is driving progress in guaranteeing the future health of humanity and of
our planet.
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