Can Synthetic Biology Save Us? This Scientist Thinks So.
Summary
He sees synthetic biology as a sweeping force that can reshape the sciences, society and culture — as the personal computer and internet have — rather than just a new industry. Yet Mr. Endy was a founder of two start-ups (one acquired, one folded) and his wife, Christina Smolke, an adjunct professor at Stanford, is chief executive of Antheia, a start-up that uses synthetic biology to make ingredients for essential medicines. As a nascent industry, Mr. Endy says he believes we are at a turning point — one essential to its future. The tool makers include well-established suppliers to synthetic biology companies and others, like the gene sequencers Illumina and Pacific Biosciences, as well as DNA synthesizers, which are younger companies like Twist Bioscience and Codex DNA. Ginkgo Bioworks, which recently went public, has an all-in-one biofoundry that others can use to make synthetic biology products — much as Amazon supplies cloud computing services to many companies.
