Historical Perspective of Synthetic Biology in Food Production

Abstract

Due to projections of population increase, which suggest that the world population will reach 8.6 billion people by 2030, as well as the reduction of existing natural resources, studies on food production technologies that minimize the impacts on the environment become relevant. In this context, with the creation of the first living organism controlled by a synthetic genome, since 2010, scientists from several countries study alternatives to produce energetic material and food through synthetic biology. Therefore, the present study sought to identify which the contributions, reflexes, trends and/or challenges of synthetic biology are in food production through a review of the literature. As results, it was noticed that there were significant advances in studies that seek forms of food production with the use of synthetic biology, as well as with technologies that reduce the use of natural resources and the impact of agricultural production on the environment. The topics of food safety, ethics and consumer perception, regarding the use of such technologies, are also emphasized. However, there is much to be studied on the subject, in particular, the need for experimental testing in different crops and processes due to food safety, and feasibility of the industrialization of such technologies.