[Reading Science] Synthetic Biology? Not 'Chimera' but a Game Changer!

Artificial Cell and Component Fabrication and Utilization Technology
Utilizing Advanced ICT such as AI, Big Data, and Robotics
'Game Changer' Expected to Replace One-Third of 21st Century Manufacturing
Major Countries Focused on Intensive Development, Establishing Biofoundries
Korea as a 'Follower Nation'... "Need for Technology Development and Regulatory Rationalization"

Stock photo of synthetic biology.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The 21st century faces pandemics, resource shortages, and environmental pollution. Synthetic biology and biofoundries (automated large-scale research and manufacturing facilities) are emerging as essential national survival technologies. Recently, South Korea designated synthetic biology as a core technology in the bio sector among its 12 national strategic technologies and announced plans to invest 300 billion KRW by 2028 to build a national biofoundry. Let’s explore what synthetic biology and biofoundries?still unfamiliar to the general public?are, how they are utilized, and what is needed to keep pace in global competition.

Key Solution Breaking the Limits of Bio Research

Consider traditional biological research. Researchers in laboratories had to perform manual work, making long durations and high costs inevitable. Biological phenomena are very complex, making it difficult to reproduce the same experimental results, and efficiency was reduced due to inability to control various variables. Standardization was also challenging due to complex experimental methods. However, with the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the use of advanced ICT, artificial intelligence (AI), big data technologies, and modularization enabled significant reductions in time and cost for bio R&D, accelerating the pace. This led to the rise of synthetic biology. While previous methods focused on changing organism functions through gene editing, synthetic biology designs, manufactures, and assembles genes and components to create and utilize new life forms. In other words, we have moved from an era of simply reading genes to one of writing them, creating predictable and safe high-performance artificial cells and components (genes and proteins) for use.

A biofoundry is the core infrastructure that automates, accelerates, and scales up cell design and gene synthesis. The multinational pharmaceutical company Moderna’s rapid development and supply of its messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine last year was made possible by its biofoundry. Moderna achieved over 10% productivity improvement by optimizing raw materials and enzymes for mRNA vaccine production through biofoundry-enabled bio-part circuit and artificial cell design. In South Korea, CJ CheilJedang’s CJ Blossom Park, opened in 2017 in Gwanggyo, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is a representative private biofoundry. Visiting the site on the 29th, the unique rounded white flower-like exterior immediately caught the eye. Inside, in a laboratory space equivalent to 15 soccer fields, advanced AI-operated robots and various automated equipment were busy mixing samples and adding catalysts alongside about 600 researchers.

The establishment of synthetic biology and biofoundries is expected to be a game changer for future industries. For example, the commercialization time for bio-compounds can be reduced to less than half the current duration, and costs can be cut by about four times. Efficiency is projected to increase more than tenfold through automated robots and software. Significant innovations are anticipated in areas such as artificial microorganisms that degrade plastic waste, mRNA vaccine design and manufacturing, alternative food production, synthesis of materials under extreme conditions, production of bio-chemical materials replacing petroleum, and biofuel production via gas fermentation. The global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) forecasted in February that synthetic biology technology will replace more than one-third (about $30 trillion) of existing manufacturing industries such as petrochemicals within 10 years.

Dr. Lee Seung-gu of the Synthetic Biology Research Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology said, "Within living organisms, vast genetic information is stored as logical circuit structures. Synthetic biology aims to use the alphabet of these circuits to design new biological functions more precisely and apply them to the development of various bio-industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and energy." He explained, "An era will come when bio and digital technologies combine to bring a bio revolution that replaces traditional manufacturing, with synthetic biology at its core."

The World is Competing for Synthetic Biology Technology Supremacy

Major powers including the U.S. and China, the G2, are actively fostering synthetic biology with differentiated strategies. The U.S., which has been leading, issued an executive order last September to strengthen bio R&D and production capabilities to maintain global supremacy. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, enacted in June last year to counter China, designated synthetic biology as one of the top 10 core technologies. China, a latecomer, is aiming for rapid catch-up through large-scale investments. In 2020, it announced the ‘Zero to ONE’ basic research project enhancement plan, designating synthetic biology as a field to strengthen original innovation promotion. Shenzhen’s Biofoundry Innovation Center is being developed as a synthetic biology cluster, and a large-scale biofoundry worth about 720 billion KRW is under construction. The UK, Japan, Australia, and others are also actively investing by establishing investment strategies and fostering advanced biofoundry hubs.

Current Status of Synthetic Biology Research and Development in Korea. Source: Ministry of Science and ICT

Private sector investment is also expanding rapidly, with the market growing through the rise of specialized companies. Synthetic biology innovative startups increased from 206 in 2009 to 620 in 2018, and investment reached about $8 billion in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a growth of over 60% compared to $5.3 billion in 2019. Venture capital investment reached about $18 billion (24 trillion KRW) in 2021 alone. Ginkgo Bioworks, which contributed to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine production, achieved results by developing pharmaceutical and fragrance-producing strains up to 20 times faster than before, reaching a corporate valuation of $17.5 billion (about 20 trillion KRW) just 12 years after its founding, demonstrating rapid growth of specialized companies.

South Korea currently holds about 75% of the technology compared to the top technology holder (the U.S. at 100%), placing it as a follower. The domestic synthetic biology industry is still in its infancy, with a market size of about $120 million last year. However, based on industrial demand, the market is rapidly expanding, with projections to grow more than 15 times to $1.6 billion by 2031.

Dr. Lee emphasized, "It is essential to artificially implement the complex actions occurring within living organisms through gene sequence design and manufacturing, and to have the capability to acquire data through ultra-high-speed, micro-experiments and analyze large datasets using artificial intelligence. Technology and expert training are crucial." He added, "South Korea has advantageous conditions with advanced manufacturing bases in feed and food sectors, so a deeper understanding of the diverse utilities of bio technology in manufacturing and environment is needed, along with more rational regulatory reforms."