{"title":"Building Capacity for the Engineering of Biology and Biomanufacturing in Finland","authors":"Jussi Jäntti, Merja Penttilä","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70012","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Finland's efforts on engineering biology (synthetic biology) originate from the investments in genetic engineering at the beginning of 1980s. The efforts were linked early on with industry, such as dairy companies, vaccine production and production of ethanol and industrial enzymes, and development of commercial scale bioprocesses. Timely support for activities in metabolic engineering, systems biology and genome wide technologies (omics) and incorporating bioinformatics and cell level modelling evolved the field naturally towards synthetic biology and biofoundry activities. This foundation has created a strong basis in industrial biotechnology in particular, its insights and capabilities being increasingly relevant today within the green transition and bioeconomy contexts. In Finland, more than 830 companies are categorised to operate in biotechnology, collectively producing a turnover of 7.1 billion euros and providing jobs for around 19,400 people. Technology and business opportunities are developing fastest in the field of modern biotechnology rooted in molecular biology. Consequently, in the past 15 years, Finland has evidenced the founding of many new biotechnology firms. In relation to bioeconomy, Finland has also a significant research tradition in plant biotechnology and breeding and in pilot scale cultivation of plant cells. Furthermore, engineering biology activities within medical biotechnology and diagnostics are strong. According to a recent report, 88.5% of the revenue of Finnish biotechnology companies comes from activities classified as industrial biotechnology. This article focuses on engineering/synthetic biology developments for industrial biotechnology, including microbial production of food components and pharma products.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662631/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149198227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Germán Rivas, Irene Otero-Muras, Víctor de Lorenzo
{"title":"The Landscape of Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering in Spain","authors":"Germán Rivas, Irene Otero-Muras, Víctor de Lorenzo","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70011","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Spain has undergone a rapid and profound transformation in synthetic biology and bioengineering over the past two decades. What began as a research landscape rooted in classical molecular biology has evolved into a dynamic, multi-institutional ecosystem that integrates bottom-up synthetic cell engineering, top-down reprogramming of living systems and computational and AI-driven design. This Perspective examines the trajectory of Spain's synthetic biology community, highlighting foundational contributions, current strengths and emerging opportunities. Special emphasis is placed on Spain's role in European synthetic cell initiatives, its participation in global biofoundry networks, the establishment of one of the most successful standardisation initiatives—the SEVA platform—and the development of advanced training programs, including the MISB Master's and the SYNBIO-CSIC COFUND doctoral network. Together, these elements position Spain as an active European actor in engineering biology, with growing influence in the matter-to-life nexus, biomanufacturing and sustainable biotechnology. Finally, the manuscript discusses key technical, regulatory, conceptual and translational challenges facing the field, particularly the need to balance engineering ambition with biological complexity, innovation with deployability and control with emergence. Only by addressing these tensions can it move from promise to widespread impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13559182/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Thailand's Synthetic Biology Strategy","authors":"Sirinya Lim, Watcharin Meerod, Sasiphen Hathaichoti, Kantapitch Preedakorn","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70006","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Synthetic biology in Thailand offers vast opportunities, from enhancing agriculture and food production to developing sustainable chemicals and biomaterials, advancing renewable energy and advancing pharmaceutical and healthcare services. Although Thailand ranks among the top 10 in Asia for biotechnology research output, it still faces several challenges. This includes insufficient and inconsistent research funding, limited development of new tools and technologies and a fragmented funding scheme. Thailand's ten-year engineering and synthetic biology strategy tackles these issues through three main components: creating a supportive ecosystem, strengthening knowledge foundations and enhancing industrial technological capabilities. The goal is to establish engineering and synthetic biology as a basis for innovative and high-value products and services, which would promote sustainable national growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13519291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148842147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bioeconomy in India: Policy, Prospects and Perspective","authors":"Shilpi Gupta, Jitendra Kumar","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70008","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>India is at a stage where the economy is rapidly expanding with bioeconomy emerging as a significant contributor to national growth and is being supported by the government through targeted missions and strategic policy interventions. Landmark initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India and establishment of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) have laid a robust foundation for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. Having created the necessary innovation ecosystem, recent policy frameworks such as the BioE3 policy and Research Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) will further strengthen the technology-driven development. All these efforts are enabling India to move towards a competitive bioeconomy that balances economic growth with environmental sustainability. With an increasing emphasis on biomanufacturing and circular bio-based solutions, India is progressing towards a resilient, future-ready bioeconomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13448779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148690525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ross K. J. McLennan, Richard Kitney, Isak S. Pretorius
{"title":"Engineering Biology in an Age of Convergence: Evolving Research Leadership at the AI–SynBio–Robotics Frontier","authors":"Ross K. J. McLennan, Richard Kitney, Isak S. Pretorius","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70010","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Artificial intelligence (AI), engineering biology (often called synthetic biology), automation, and RNA therapeutics are rapidly converging into integrated discovery and translation platforms in which computational design, automated experimentation, and biological implementation are tightly coupled. This convergence is accelerating scientific capability and translational potential, but it also compounds governance complexity across biosecurity, data and AI governance, research integrity, national interest, social licence, and funding accountability. Conventional, discipline-based and compliance-centred oversight models are poorly suited to these integrated systems. This <i>Perspective</i> argues that senior leaders in organisations undertaking this research and development must transition towards strategic stewardship approaches that are risk-tiered, adaptive, transparent, and internationally interoperable. Such approaches embed governance upstream in research design, align safety and integrity with innovation, and enable proportionate oversight at the speed required by convergent science. Effective leadership in this context is not a brake on discovery but a systems-level enabler, supporting rapid experimentation, trusted collaboration, and responsible translation. As convergent engineering biology increasingly operates across institutional and national boundaries, leadership capability in governance becomes a critical determinant of scientific impact, institutional credibility and long-term freedom to operate.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13439627/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Engineering Biology's Vital Role for Climate Mitigation","authors":"Lionel John Clarke","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1049/enb2.70009","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper examines the potential role of engineering biology in contributing to climate mitigation through the de-fossilisation of fuels, chemicals, materials and food systems. Although significant progress is being made in de-fossilising energy via renewable electricity generation, other more carbon-centric sectors—notably transport, chemicals and agriculture—remain predominantly fossil-based. Despite sustained policy support, biofuels currently supply just 3.5% of global transport energy demand, whereas sustainable aviation fuel remains below 1% of global jet fuel supply. Similarly, only around 1% of plastics and polymers are bio-based. Replacing fossil carbon with renewable carbon remains a significant commercial challenge. Constraints include feedstock availability, sustainability concerns, capital intensity, certification requirements and policy uncertainty. The paper discusses how engineering biology—encompassing advances in synthetic biology, bioprocess engineering and electro-biological systems—may offer potentially transformative technological options and innovative commercial opportunities. It concludes that the contribution of engineering biology to climate mitigation will depend not on technical developments and investment alone but also on their integration into economically viable supply chains and the presence of stable long-term policy frameworks supporting investment and deployment at scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1049/enb2.70009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Engineering biologyPub Date : 2026-05-11eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1049/enb2.70007
Paige E Erpf, Bill D Kinder, Edward Archer, Roy S K Walker, Isak S Pretorius, Ian T Paulsen
{"title":"Synthesis of Programmable Bioelectronic Yeast for Biohybrid Futures.","authors":"Paige E Erpf, Bill D Kinder, Edward Archer, Roy S K Walker, Isak S Pretorius, Ian T Paulsen","doi":"10.1049/enb2.70007","DOIUrl":"10.1049/enb2.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The budding yeast <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> has moved beyond an evolved and domesticated single-celled microorganism into a deliberately engineered biological substrate. Advances in synthetic genomics, illustrated by the international Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) project, have reframed the yeast genome as a designable and programmable system. This article examines how locus standardisation, genome refactoring, controlled genomic plasticity and orthogonal regulatory systems collectively establish yeast as a programmable platform. Yeast is then viewed as an analogue of electronic systems in which genetic circuits, memory and population-level computation are compared to logic gates, storage and distributed system architectures. These capabilities position yeast to move beyond conventional metabolic engineering towards hybrid systems that integrate biological information processing with electronic and computational components. Achieving such integration requires careful consideration of the interfaces between biological and electronic domains, including how biological states can be coupled to electronic systems through electrochemical, chemical, optical and mechanical transduction, and how electronic inputs can be delivered in forms that can be recognised and processed by engineered cells. Finally, both the principal bottlenecks and key enabling advances are discussed, highlighting how recent developments suggest that synthetic yeast is approaching readiness as a foundational platform for bioelectronic and hybrid living systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":72921,"journal":{"name":"Engineering biology","volume":"10 ","pages":"e70007"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13161552/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147936044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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