Synthetic Biology And Vertical Farming Flashcards
What are biotechnology and GE
Natural fermentation processes have been used for years
GM increasingly used to modify plants
90% of corn, cotton and soy beans are GM
Aqua advantage salmon can grown in 18 months as suppose to 3 years and lisenced for human consumption by the FDA in 2015
What is synthetic biology
About taking control of the natural world at a DNA level in order to accomplish impossible things
Increasingly be able to programs and reprogram codes of life itself - ethical concerns
Break down each part into bio rocks
May get to a point where things are made simply by growing them
By 2018 symbio will be worth 11.9bn
What is the biotechnology industry association definition
Involves the application of engineering principles to biology. Aims to redesign and fabricate biological components and systems that do not already exist in the natural world
What is some of the work amyris are doing?
Biofene- produce diesel by modifying yeast- 80% less greenhouse gas- peak oil
Artemisinin malaria treatment
Can create cosmetics that are fitting to the individual
Uni of Cambridge
Open plant initiative - look to redesign plants- can we grow banana’s already wrapped? On the vine inventory
What are the implications of synthetic biology
Ethics to the extent we should alter genes and DNA- should we play god so to speak
Already pigs are being humanised to produce a set of human organs
How will IP be managed
Where will biomass come from
What is vertical farming
Where skyscrapers are used to cultivate crops and raise animals in urban populated areas
What do banerjee and Adenaer predict?
Long term market of around 2,900 vertical farms
What are the advantages of VF
All year production Reduced risk of climate related crop damage - climate change- growing need- may be forced into vertical farming if we continue co tribute for to global warming as we are On vine inventory Reduced transportation- Paris agreement Reduced food waste No need for pesticides- peak oil Reduced water consumption- peak water due to hydroponics and aeroponics - used to grow in space- long term Fresher more organic food Urban regeneration
What are the logistics of vertical farming
Providing plants with enough light
Energy requirements- despommier suggests arc gasification
Sterile environments
Commercial viability 10/100 times more efficient
Adequate return on land investment
What do the critics of VF argue?
Monbiot- too complex and expensive
Too much energy to be sustainable
Commercial viability will alter ports peak oil and as Paris agreement comes into play
What is a bioeconomy?
A great deal of manufacturing could become biological and we may observe convergence between symbol and vertical farms in that we could produce non food goods in them on the vine
What does despommier state
We need a land mass the size of South America to feed urban and rural populations just for crops we plant and harvest
80% of land that is suitable for raising crops is in use
Extravagant skyscrapers are things of the future
What is sky greens
Have plants on a conveyor belt system and rotate once or twice a day near to windows and it rains everyday
10 times more yield
40w is needed to power one 9 m tower
Only 0.5 litres needed to rotate the 1.7 ton vertical structure
Tell me about aerofarms
Uses 95% less water than field farming
Over 130 times more productive per square foot
Reduces harmful transportation emissions by 98% on average
Build their farms near high population areas and communities
