Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa
Synthetic biology (SynBio) is an interdisciplinary field that has developed rapidly in the last two decades. It involves the design and construction of new biological systems and processes from standardized biological components, networks and synthetic pathways. The goal of Synbio is to create logic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-12-01
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| Series: | All Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2021.2014986 |
| _version_ | 1797236924066299904 |
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| author | Reagan Mudziwapasi Jonathan Mufandaedza Fortune N. Jomane Fanuel Songwe Abigarl Ndudzo Rutendo P. Nyamusamba Annah R. Takombwa Melinda G. Mahla Jessica Pullen Sibonani S. Mlambo Cyprian Mahuni Edward Mufandaedza Ryman Shoko |
| author_facet | Reagan Mudziwapasi Jonathan Mufandaedza Fortune N. Jomane Fanuel Songwe Abigarl Ndudzo Rutendo P. Nyamusamba Annah R. Takombwa Melinda G. Mahla Jessica Pullen Sibonani S. Mlambo Cyprian Mahuni Edward Mufandaedza Ryman Shoko |
| author_sort | Reagan Mudziwapasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Synthetic biology (SynBio) is an interdisciplinary field that has developed rapidly in the last two decades. It involves the design and construction of new biological systems and processes from standardized biological components, networks and synthetic pathways. The goal of Synbio is to create logical forms of cellular control. Biological systems and their parts can be redesigned to carry out completely new functions. SynBio is poised to greatly impact human health, the environment, biofuels and chemical production with huge economic benefits. SynBio presents opportunities for the highly agro-based African economies to overcome setbacks that threaten food security: The setbacks are brought about by climate change, land degradation, over-reliance on food imports, global competition, and water and energy security issues among others. With appropriate regulatory frameworks and systems in place, the benefits of harnessing SynBio to boost development in African economies by far potentially outweigh the risks. Countries that are already using GMOs such as South Africa and Kenya should find the application of SynBio seamless, as it would be a matter of expanding the already existing regulations and policies for GMO use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:58:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4eb7f936ce9846b490eff18aadebe41a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2689-5307 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:11:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | All Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-4eb7f936ce9846b490eff18aadebe41a2024-03-28T09:48:50ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAll Life2689-53072022-12-0115111210.1080/26895293.2021.20149862014986Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan AfricaReagan Mudziwapasi0Jonathan Mufandaedza1Fortune N. Jomane2Fanuel Songwe3Abigarl Ndudzo4Rutendo P. Nyamusamba5Annah R. Takombwa6Melinda G. Mahla7Jessica Pullen8Sibonani S. Mlambo9Cyprian Mahuni10Edward Mufandaedza11Ryman Shoko12Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityNational Biotechnology AuthorityDepartment of Animal Science and Rangeland Management, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityDepartment of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Midlands State UniversityDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityNational Biotechnology AuthorityDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityDepartment of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chinhoyi University of TechnologyNational Biotechnology AuthorityDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lupane State UniversityDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chinhoyi University of TechnologySynthetic biology (SynBio) is an interdisciplinary field that has developed rapidly in the last two decades. It involves the design and construction of new biological systems and processes from standardized biological components, networks and synthetic pathways. The goal of Synbio is to create logical forms of cellular control. Biological systems and their parts can be redesigned to carry out completely new functions. SynBio is poised to greatly impact human health, the environment, biofuels and chemical production with huge economic benefits. SynBio presents opportunities for the highly agro-based African economies to overcome setbacks that threaten food security: The setbacks are brought about by climate change, land degradation, over-reliance on food imports, global competition, and water and energy security issues among others. With appropriate regulatory frameworks and systems in place, the benefits of harnessing SynBio to boost development in African economies by far potentially outweigh the risks. Countries that are already using GMOs such as South Africa and Kenya should find the application of SynBio seamless, as it would be a matter of expanding the already existing regulations and policies for GMO use.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2021.2014986synthetic biologyfood securitybiosafetyregulationgmo |
| spellingShingle | Reagan Mudziwapasi Jonathan Mufandaedza Fortune N. Jomane Fanuel Songwe Abigarl Ndudzo Rutendo P. Nyamusamba Annah R. Takombwa Melinda G. Mahla Jessica Pullen Sibonani S. Mlambo Cyprian Mahuni Edward Mufandaedza Ryman Shoko Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa All Life synthetic biology food security biosafety regulation gmo |
| title | Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full | Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_fullStr | Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_short | Unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_sort | unlocking the potential of synthetic biology for improving livelihoods in sub saharan africa |
| topic | synthetic biology food security biosafety regulation gmo |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2021.2014986 |
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