This topic emerged through a screening of emerging issues in science, technology and society in the context of the FET CSA OBSERVE.

http://www.horizon-observatory.eu/radar-en/index.php

The big picture

Several of the findings from the OBSERVE screening pointed towards novel ways of using living organisms such as bacteria or plants for fulfilling useful functions.

The following aspects of such “organism based solutioning” appeared in the debate:

Biomanufacturing

Living organisms such as viruses are genetically modified to create materials e.g. for semiconductors or batteries. Biomanufacturing has advantages such as non toxic, low energy. Medical applications are also explored (e.g. finding and fighting tumours). With the development of pharmaceuticals and artificial organisms, new biology-based proc-esses will do things that only machines have previously done. For example, scientists have recently been able to modify cells to act like fully functional computers.

Bacteria-robot model systems

In a recent paper a Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behaviour of an inanimate device like a robot. In agricul-ture, bacteria-robot model systems could enable robust studies that explore the interac-tions between soil bacteria and livestock.

Yeast that makes opiate-like molecules out of sugar

A strain of yeast engineered in a lab was able to transform sugar into a pain-killing drug — called hydrocodone — for the first time. And a second strain was able to produce thebaine, an opiate precursor that drug companies use to make oxycodone. The find-ings, published in Science, could completely change the way drug companies make pain-relieving medicine. Unfortunately, it may also open the door to less positive out-comes, like "home-brewed" heroin.

Bugs not drugs/the Microbiome

Increased understanding of the microbiome - the community of microorganisms in our bodies - is challenging our long-running obsession with antibacterial measures. New approaches to staying healthy will be based on balancing the ecologies of microorgan-isms: think "bugs, not drugs." Indiegogo-funded uBiome is already helping people better understand their germs by sequencing the bacteria in their bodies. Microbiomes have become the focus of intense study and public interest. The trillions of microbes that live inside the human body play important roles in health, from fighting diseases to maintaining a balanced immune system. The White House is considering increasing its support of research into the workings of these microbial communities.

Moss walls for air cleaning

To clean and filter the air from nitric oxide and fine dust within cities, moss walls are tested in Oslo (Norway). The so called “city trees” transform the pollution to biomass.

Bio-sensors - Using plants as environmental sensors and connecting them to sensor networks

Plants can be used as sensors to monitor environmental parameters, such as tempera-ture, humidity, air quality, etc. Several FET projects expect that in the future, the sensing information of plants may be accessed by a technical device and the signal will be transferred over a wireless net-work. This way, many new applications become possible as data will be available to monitor any environment of interest.

Selected voices

IFTF Combinatorial Forecasts: Biomanufacturing unites mother nature with the man-made

http://www.iftf.org/maps/20-combinatorial-forecasts/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/science/national-initiative-microbes-and-microbiomes.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=2

http://www.iftf.org/future-now/article-detail/from-20forecasts-the-microbiome-mediates-the-war-on-germs/

http://www.deepstuff.org/scientist-develops-model-for-robots-with-bacteria-controlled-brains/

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/349/6252/1095

http://greencitysolutions.de/english/#citytree