The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a Science & Tech Spotlight on synthetic biology on April 17, 2023. GAO defines synthetic biology as a multidisciplinary field of biotechnology that involves engineering the genetic material of organisms -- such as viruses, bacteria, yeast, plants, or animals -- to have new characteristics. According to GAO, scientists are currently exploring the use of synthetic biology to address environmental challenges by engineering organisms to use carbon dioxide, produce biofuels for vehicles, and transform methane into biodegradable plastics. GAO notes that the synthetic biology market could grow from about $10 billion in 2021 to between $37 billion and $100 billion dollars by 2030. Opportunities include:

GAO notes the following challenges:

GAO concludes the Science & Tech Spotlight with the following policy context and questions:

Read this article:

GAO Science and Tech Spotlight Describes Benefits of Synthetic ... - Lexology