April 25, 2025

Engineering Biology – a Government Office for Science Foresight Report

A new report from the government’s chief scientific adviser aims to communicate the benefits that Engineering Biology (EngBio) might bring to our society and economy over the next 10-15 years. It highlights the potential applications of EngBio across a range of distinct areas via a set of 5 expert-authored ‘aspiration papers’: bio-synthetic fuels, nitrogen-fixing crops, future clothing, lab-grown blood, and microbial metal factories.

These papers provide examples of the potential of EngBio across various industry sectors to address problems faced by people and the planet.

Journalists came to this briefing to hear from the CSA plus two of the chapter authors and put their questions to them.

Speakers will include:

Prof Dame Angela McLean FRS, Government Chief Scientific Adviser

Prof Nigel Scrutton FRS, Professor of Molecular Enzymology, Chemical Biology and Biological Chemistry at the University of Manchester and founder of C3 Biotech

Prof Louise Horsfall, Chair of Sustainable Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh