What is Perpendicular engineering?

Perpendicular engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of biology and engineering that focuses on creating new biological parts, devices, and systems or re-designing existing biological systems. It uses engineering principles and techniques to modify existing organisms or design new ones. Using perpendicular engineering, scientists can design and construct new biological functions and systems not found in nature.

Goals and Applications of Synthetic Biology

Some of the main goals and applications of perpendicular engineering include:

Developing new medicines - Perpendicular engineering can help develop new antibiotics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Synthetic Biology For example, scientists are using perpendicular engineering techniques to re-program bacteria to produce complex medicines like monoclonal antibodies. This could make antibiotic production more efficient and affordable.

Creating sustainable fuels - Researchers are engineering microbes like E. coli and yeast to produce advanced biofuels like butanol from non-food biomass like agricultural waste. This could help transition to more sustainable transportation fuels.

Producing chemicals - Microbes are being engineered to sustainably produce industrial chemicals like plastics, perfumes, flavors without relying on petrochemical feedstocks. For example, using engineered E. coli, companies are producing bio-based alternatives to fossil fuel-derived products like 1,4-butanediol which is used to make spandex, polyurethanes, and other materials.

Environmental applications - Perpendicular engineering methods allow targeted remediation of environmental pollutants. Microbes are being engineered to detect and degrade toxic heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil and water more efficiently. This could help clean up Superfund sites and industrial wastewater.

Manufacturing living materials - Synthetic biologists are designing bacteria and yeast that can produce new materials like spider silk, vanillin, latex and microbial cellulose at commercial scales. These living materials could provide sustainable and natural alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, rubbers, and fibers widely used today.

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