What is going on Earth is going on in the UK's Department of Science, Innovation and Technology?
The UK government plan to be the leading nation in the engineering biology revolution
What are the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology doing for engineering biology?
In the UK Science and Technology Framework released in March 2023, engineering biology was named one of five critical technologies which could drive a range of transformational advantages for the UK. The UK government acknowledges that biological engineering can impact a range of sectors (health, agriculture and food, chemicals and materials, renewable fuels and CO2 cycling and environment).
The Uk government aims to make the UK a world leader in the regulations, standards and ethical responsibilities of biological engineering. In this process, biological engineering would become an area which can provide prosperity to the UK as an ecosystem is built which develops and commercialises feeding into a growing economy.
For the Uk government to realise this goal they have been busy at work connecting with companies who are spearheading advances in bioengineering in various sectors. Leaders at biotechnology companies, spanning industries such as Colorifix (sustainable textile dyes), Modern Synthesis (biomaterials), Ivy Farms (cellular agriculture) and Celtic Renewables (biofuels) to name a few, were invited to 10 Downing Street to discuss, with Chloe Smith MP Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), policies surrounding the advancement of engineering biology within the UK.
Where is the support needed within the sector?
Across the UK there are now many university courses available to provide education around engineering biology. However, beyond academics, there is a shortage of training for graduate skills to be further developed and diversified to accommodate the skill shortage in the accelerating commercialisation of the industry.
Beyond the small experienced talent pool, we reach the issue of funding. Increasing production for start-ups is always pricey and for biologics, the requirement for scale-up facilities for pilot plants or large-scale production makes it even more so. Engineering biology is not immune to the effects of inflation and the sump in funding opportunities. An unfortunate example is Bolt Threads, a biomaterials company, which collaborated with Stella McCartney to showcase The Frayme Mylo™️ . Unfortunately, the lack of funding resulted in a halt in Mylo production for the biomaterial company, causing them to narrow their attention to their other products.
How the government are helping?
As we already mentioned, to help strengthen the UK's position in engineering biology there must be opportunities for the talent pool to develop and encourage funding from the private sector to allow the scaling of production.
To elucidate further on the areas in which DSIT can assist engineering biology in the UK, they have issued a call for evidence for both academics and businesses to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the value chain the UK provides for engineering biology. (So if you have some thoughts on this let them be known before 29th Sep 2023, link at the bottom of page)
The discussion at 10 Downing Street alongside the call for evidence is showing promise for how the UK government will continue to support the growing biological engineering field through policy design. If done correctly, the UK can become a home of many opportunities for many companies which provide economic growth and along with it bring the sustainable solutions which these companies have to offer to people's everyday lives.
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