Even if it is at this stage impossible to quantify

The publication in the journal "Science", Craig Venter work on the creation of a bacterium to the synthetic genome was given a projector on a still little publicized discipline: the biology of synthesis. It aims to improve existing biological systems, but also to design and manufacture of new, artificial, leading to industrial applications. As explained Philippe Marlière, co-founder of Global Bioenergies, it completely renews biology approach. "It is more, as with molecular biology, to formulate a theoretical hypothesis to infer a result giving rise, perhaps, to an application." The approach of the biology of synthesis is the engineer including building with an intrinsic utilitarian purpose. "Its economic potential is therefore have considered substantial because it promises to improve the efficiency of the process, reduce their environmental impact and lower costs. Even if it is at this stage, impossible to quantify.

The discipline is emerging, including the United States, yet pioneers in this area by the mid-2000s, with non-negligible investment: $ 16 million from the National Science Foundation to fund the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center of Ber - keley, 43 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for medical applications, $ 500 million of the Department of energy and BP to fund the Energy Biosciences Institute. And the results are l ' terms of investment: 70 of the publications are American and only some 20 teams of European origin.

"Intelligent" vaccines

Because it is a new discipline, interested in its applications is a foresight exercise which can curl science fiction. To date, the examples are rare. They are the proof of concept and not a production on an industrial scale. This is the case of the work of two California teams: one is able to reprogram yeast to produce a precursor of the artemisinin molecule used to combat malaria, one succeeded in making of a type of salmonella spider silk protein.

A priori, all areas related to the life sciences or chemistry should benefit from the development of synthetic biology, according to a report of the Royal Academy of British Engineering. Health, the report estimates that with the engineering of the metabolism of the microorganisms, should be in five years coming manufacture more efficiently and at a lower cost of other drugs that artemisinin, including natural molecules often too difficult to synthesize by classical chemical or therapeutic proteins. The end of the Decade, we can also consider the coupling of the biology of synthesis with tissue regeneration to cultivate and difficult to obtain today cells. Finally, longer-term, can dream to antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines "intelligent", able to defeat mutations in pathogens in adapting it.

New fuels

Energy is also a major area of application of synthetic biology. "The current biofuels are the result of the production of ethanol from sugar or from that of biodiesel from vegetable oils, but these process are particularly ineffective, the report". The re-engineering of the metabolism of the microorganisms that are involved there would optimize the process. "May also be considered that, by using artificial micro-organisms, it is possible to use other sources of energy to produce fuels.

Craig Venter has for example move the ground of his exploits of the bacteria to algae. His company, Synthetic Genomics, signed last year, an agreement more $ 300 million with the oil tanker Exxon-Mobil for a biofuels research program based on the photosynthesis of algae. But many petrochemical from chemical compounds that enter the composition of everyday products might also be now produced by micro-organisms from biomass.

Plant and pesticides

Side environment, the more interesting developments focus on the development of biological sensors capable of detecting pollution biological, chemical or mineral, coupled processes of purification (for water) or on the reprogramming of micro-organisms capable of "Digest" of carbon dioxide (CO2).

After GM, a new generation of seeds with interesting properties in agronomic and nutritional plan (for example for animal feed) could be designed by creating new genomes. It also promises more specific and more easily biodegradable pesticides.

Finally, the intersection of nanotechnology and synthetic biology, there are applications in materials and the creation of new generations of components and systems running on a biological basis and not more microelectronics.