🚀Scaling Synthetic Biology

One of the most exciting technological developments in recent years has been the advent of synthetic biology (synbio): altering microorganisms to better suit our needs. Engineered organisms are bringing about breakthroughs in medicine, materials and agriculture – and the industry’s still in its early stages.

The total addressable market is certainly huge. According to McKinsey research, up to 60% of the global economy’s physical inputs could one day be produced biologically. Over the next couple of decades, the market could be worth several trillion dollars. Another consultancy, BCG, maps out just how wide the impact could be.

On this week’s podcast, I spoke to one of the leaders in the space: Reshma Shetty, COO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo integrates cutting-edge biology with machine learning and automation to speed up the process of designing, building and testing engineered organisms. Reshma explained to me how Ginkgo’s process works, the company’s platform business mode…