Biotechnology and Its Impact on Manufacturing

“Biomanufacturing” refers to the use of biological processes and living organisms to manufacture products. Key sectors include pharmaceuticals, consumer products, food and beverage, and industrial/environmental. This expanding field “uses renewable biological resources sustainably to produce food, energy, and industrial goods,” says Lionel Clarke, professor of bioengineering at Imperial College in London. Together with colleague Richard Kitney, Clarke has published a study in the National Institute of Health’s Library of Medicine titled “Developing Synthetic Biology for Industrial Biotechnology Applications.”

“The sustainable production of molecules from biomass feedstocks as the component building blocks of future medicines, chemicals, materials, and liquid fuels…is core to the future circular economy.” According to Clarke and Kitney, the biomanufacturing sector unlocks the door to fully leveraging the untapped potential stored within millions of tons of biological waste and residual materials—energy that we have long known is present and abundant but until now have lacked the knowledge and tools to exploit on an industrial scale.

Pharmaceuticals

Biotech/biomanufacturing is especially prominent in the pharmaceutical sector. Biotech-related products include vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, allergenics, antibacterial drugs, cell therapies, and even replacement organs. Vaccines, for example, are often developed using yeast organisms in a tightly controlled fermentation process. Bacteria and fungi can also be genetically engineered to produce large concentrations of desired biomolecules through fermentation; ironically, through the use of E. coli, which “has been shown to be highly robust and economical for the production of biologic drug substances,” as well as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris, which are common yeasts used for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Living tissues can be printed in exact organ shapes with 3D bioprinters, using “bioinks” that are rich in cells. This technology is advancing so rapidly that 3D-printed organs are entering clinical testing. 3D-printed human tissue is currently being used for cosmetics, drug testing, and clinical trial applications, which will drastically reduce the need for animal trials.

Consumer Products

“Industrial biotechnology” uses enzymes and microorganisms to manufacture a variety of products, including detergents, textiles, paper and pulp, and biofuels. Fermentation is an especially versatile bioprocess; manufacturers can leverage it to create plastics, beauty products, and even jet fuel. Genomatica, a bioengineering company, uses microorganisms to ferment plant sugars to produce caprolactam, a key ingredient in nylon, thus eliminating the need to use fossil fuels to make this type of hugely popular plastic.

Industrial and Environmental

Biotechnology is used to produce industrial enzymes and chemicals, convert biomass into energy and chemicals, and remediate environmental pollution. For the construction industry, biocementation uses bacteria to precipitate calcium carbonate within concrete, making it stronger and more durable. Bioremediation is a waste-management technique that uses organisms to neutralize contaminants, breaking them down into non-toxic substances.

EnginZyme, a Swedish biotech company, has developed technology that performs similarly to fermentation to improve the manufacture of a range of products, including food ingredients, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and chemicals. “Our platform mimics fermentation, but at a 40% reduction in capital expenditures and a 70% reduction in energy,” states CEO Karim Engelmark Cassimjee. “We use biology and enzyme catalysts instead of metal catalysts, at lower temperatures and pressures.” This technology could enable smaller-scale, on-demand manufacturing—especially in the chemical industry—which would diversify and expand the sector and potentially lead to rapid innovation.

Food and Agriculture

Amino acids are important ingredients in the food and beverage industry and are manufactured using biological processes. In another show of its versatility and transformative power, fermentation is commonly used to increase foods’ dietary value through the biosynthesis of vitamins and amino acids, as well as to improve protein and fiber digestibility. “One-third of the processed foods of the world are fermented foods, with either natural or intentional fermentation adding microbial strains,” states Gargi Ghoshal, a chemical engineer at Panjab University in India.

Biomanufacturing is also essential for food safety. Biotechnology can extend the shelf life of perishable food items, as well as maintain food texture and other important sensory properties. Biotechnology techniques can also manufacture antimicrobial agents within packaging that inhibit the growth of dangerous microorganisms that cause illness or spoil foods’ flavor and consistency, notes Ghoshal.

Moving Forward

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense launched BioMADE (also known as the U.S. Synthetic Biology Manufacturing Innovation Institute) to support the U.S. biomanufacturing ecosystem. Synthetic biology applies engineering principles to biology to create valuable biological components and systems that do not exist in the natural world. Much of this work will involve novel DNA sequencing, but BioMADE is pursuing innovations that apply to nearly all segments of the manufacturing sector. A major goal is to provide the U.S. with domestic capabilities to manufacture critical resources and provide supply chain security, with a number of projects completed or underway.

Biomanufacturing innovation continues to advance at a rapid pace, especially as more manufacturers take notice of the lower material and operating costs and reduced environmental impacts compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

“Biomanufacturing isn’t just about making our current materials more cheaply,” says John Cumbers, a biologist and founder of SynBioBeta, an activity hub for synthetic biology startups. “It is also about bringing incredible new products to market that outperform the best products that conventional chemistry can give us now. By learning from and building upon the diversity that nature has given us, we can make a better product in a better way.”