As a coming generation of large biomanufacturing facilities slashes costs, sustainable materials made from organisms based on nature’s design principles are poised to go mainstream.
What is Synthetic Biology?
Synthetic biology is an emerging technology centered on science and engineering to create materials that enable innovative, sustainable, resilient, low-cost manufacturing and product development. It draws on nature to create new biological components and systems—or improve existing ones—such as alternative proteins, programmed cells, and gene modification.
Our Approach to Synthetic Biology Consulting
BCG helps clients develop a syn-bio strategy through an extensive approach:
- Get familiar with the science and the technology. As synthetic-biology technologies are fairly new, BCG helps clients understand syn-bio’s capabilities, uses, and opportunities.
- Test promising opportunities. Through shared knowledge and experimentation, we help businesses explore, identify, and select the most promising technologies that will unlock new value pockets.
- Scout for successful pioneers. We keep track of the start-ups and established companies that are building relevant technologies, products, and processes firms can use in their own development.
- Identify the manufacturing and supply challenges up front. Before choosing which path to follow, we lay out the challenges a client faces in scaling, safety, transportation, quality, and standardization.
- Partner selectively. We build relationships with those in the research and development communities, and help clients partner with the right start-ups and universities to access the most current biotechnology.
- Drive syn-bio within your business portfolio. BCG works with corporations to quickly add syn-bio products to their portfolios by, for example, making greenfield investments and acquiring companies.
Our Insights into Synthetic Biology
Article
February 15, 2023
By analyzing the syn-bio industry stack and understanding its dynamics, incumbents can develop strategies that will gain them competitive advantage.
Article
February 17, 2023
Synthetic biology is a difficult technology to master and especially tough to scale. Chemical and materials startups and their backers need to find the meeting place of technology capability, market need, and cost.
Article
February 10, 2022
Synthetic biology technologies are finally maturing, becoming the way almost anything can be manufactured competitively and sustainably. Businesses must learn to use syn-bio to develop new products and processes, improve existing ones, and reduce costs to remain competitive in the future.
Meet Our Synthetic Biology Consultants
Our synthetic biology consultants are experts in the complexities of
deep tech and using emerging technologies to solve large issues. They are positioned to support clients engaging syn-bio as a potential business opportunity or implementing synthetic biology into workflows and strategy. Here are some of our experts on the topic:
