Synthetic biology

Engineered living systems can be harnessed to create life-saving treatments, make food systems more efficient and resilient, and produce commodity chemicals and everyday products more sustainably. Whilst some of these ambitions are future-looking, synthetic biology is already powering many breakthrough innovations today, such as personalized gene therapies for cancer, lab-grown meat and bio-based dyes and clothing materials. 

Convergence with other technologies is further driving this potential. For example, synthetic biology is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, automation and high-throughput tools to significantly accelerate the pace and complexity of innovation. Scaling technologies like decentralised biomanufacturing could increase supply chain resilience and drive bio-based solutions. 

Like any other emerging technology, synthetic biology is dual edged in nature: it can provide much-needed positive innovation whilst also negatively impacting some societal groups. Enabling its development for economic prosperity, resilience, security and sustainability requires anticipating potential disruptions: who will be most affected, how aligned that is with shared values, and what measures are needed in response. For example, there may be unintended environmental consequences from the release of genetically modified organisms that should be mitigated by robust risk assessments, or safeguards enacted to ensure nefarious actors do not misuse synthetic biology to create harmful biological agents.

Tools like the OECD Framework for Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies can help equip actors across the ecosystem to build their long-term anticipatory capacities and shape innovation more effectively. It identifies five interdependent elements and associated governance tools to do so: embedding of values, enhancing foresight and technology assessment, multistakeholder engagement, agile and adaptive regulation, and international co-operation. 

Governments around the world are stepping up their efforts to unlock the potential for the bioeconomy and develop policies that promote synthetic biology innovation that is safe, sustainable and meets societal needs. For example, strong innovation ecosystems call for infrastructures and investment to foster the discovery, implementation, uptake and scaling of new technologies. This can only be powered by a skilled workforce, which to be responsible should incorporate job retraining programmes for workers in incumbent industries shifting towards biomanufacturing. Policies that empower economic development and capacity building could help ensure equitable access to synthetic biology and its benefits, whilst fostering a culture of responsibility across research stages and ecosystem stakeholders would provide the most effective safeguards to ensure biosafety and biosecurity.

Cross-border cooperation is essential to harness the full potential of synthetic biology while ensuring responsible innovation. International research partnerships can accelerate innovation and make it more inclusive, whilst aligned regulatory frameworks can help solutions reach more markets. This is especially important given that global grand challenges like climate change cannot be addressed by individual countries. Furthermore, the impacts of synthetic biology (e.g. the release of genetically modified organisms) are unlikely to be limited by countries’ borders.

As a knowledge hub for data and policy analysis and a forum for multi-stakeholder discussions, the OECD can be a space for promoting global collaboration, sharing best practices and setting international standards to shape the future of synthetic biology. A key next step is the development of an OECD Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Synthetic Biology to empower actors across the ecosystem to drive forward impactful innovation and mitigating potential risks, consistent with shared values.