Synthetic biology helps to develop "greener bombs"

"The objective of this Statement of Need (SON) is to develop innovative synthetic biological approaches to produce critical U.S. military energetic ingredients and their precursors using renewable resources and bioprocesses that reduce hazardous waste streams, energy usage, and waste disposal costs encountered with the existing conventional organic manufacturing processes. Both fundamental research to develop approaches applicable to these classes of compounds as well as applied research targeting a specific energetic compound or precursor is of interest."
Read more here : http://www.serdp.org/content/download/12059/146147/version/2/file/WPSON-13-04+Synthetic+Biology+for+Energetics.pdf

Synthetic Biology Fact Sheet - Office of Naval Research

 

Interesting stuff and future applications here (http://www.onr.navy.mil/en/Media-Center/Fact-Sheets/Synthetic-Biology.aspx) :

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Synthetic Biology Program aims to develop transformational approaches to multiple naval application areas. Products will include living organisms with the capability to produce, deliver, detect and respond to compounds, or to provide command and control to nonliving miniaturized devices.

Secure and sustainable production of high-value materials, such as energetic materials or future naval fuels, may be achieved using synthetic biology. For example, both bacteria and plants have been engineered to use sugars, carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce intermediates for the production of TNT and TATB (triaminotrinitrobenzene, an aromatic explosive).

Living sentinel species have also been generated, which may allow ‘plug and play’ approaches for design of systems that can sense and respond to threats. The illustration above shows leaves of plants that have been programmed to respond to the detection of TNT vapor by turning white. The color change can be detected using remote spectral imaging systems.

Part of ONR’s program is centered on developing more of the synthetic biology tools needed to advance the field, such as methodology to produce large, multigene sequences, stimuli-responsive regulatory sequences and methods for rapidly adapting cells to perform new functions.

As ONR learns more about how living organisms work and how their functions are controlled at a genetic level, it will expand the repertoire of functions and pathways available for designing new organisms. Ultimately, engineered cells may be used to control and make decisions for a non-living nano or micro device through the cells’ processing of environmental information and translation into signals interpretable by that device.

Global Synthetic Biology Market to Exceed $4.5 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Synthetic Biology Market to Exceed $4.5 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. GIA announces the release of a global market report on Synthetic Biology. Global Synthetic biology market is projected to exceed $4.5 billion by the year 2015. Synthetic biology is expected to provide major advances in the areas of biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals synthesis, biosecurity, energy and environment, sustainable chemical segment, and biomaterials/smart materials production. Significant investments are expected in the synthetic biology field.

Global Synthetic Biology Market to Exceed $4.5 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.