The Future of Synthetic Biology | Stanford Emerging Technology Review (SETR)

At the frontier of biotech innovation, synthetic biology promises revolutionary advancements in agriculture, health and medicine, energy, and more. The ability to better understand and encode life’s building blocks, has the potential to improve the environment, raise life expectancy, and advance the human condition. This emerging field, however, does raise significant ethical, economic, and security concerns, including human enhancement, DNA patenting, and international competition. To harness the synthetic biology’s benefits while addressing its challenges, strategic public-private partnerships are crucial for responsible development, societal benefits, and sustained competitiveness.

SETR's Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology faculty council advisor is Drew Endy. Drew is a science fellow and senior fellow by courtesy at the Hoover Institution. He leads Hoover’s Bio-Strategy and Leadership effort, which focuses on keeping increasingly biotic futures secure, flourishing, and democratic.

To read Drew's interview, "How Biobonds Can Help Build World-Class Biomanufacturing Infrastructure Across America" click here: https://hvr.co/3R8QNoW

For more information about emerging technologies, or download the 2025 Stanford Emerging Technology Review (SETR) report, click here: https://hvr.co/4kxC4lg

To read the SETR Chapter on Bio Tech and Synthetic Biology, click here:
https://hvr.co/4bsz1Xf

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The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.

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