Advances in bioengineering technologies that allow scientists to directly target and modify the DNA sequences of crops could help reduce the environmental impact of the poultry industry.
“Synthetic biology is this kind of super-efficient way of producing the things we need through a very complex process of screening, identifying and changing the machinery of bacteria and yeast to spit out the thing we need and do that in a much more sustainable manner,” Angela Ailloni, head of agricultural business development, Ginkgo Bioworks, explained.
Over half of the greenhouse gas emissions produced in monogastric animal protein production are linked to feed, so finding ways to make feed production more sustainable is an easy way for poultry producers to reduce their environmental impact.
How synthetic biology works
Synthetic biology is an area of research that seeks to redesign systems already found in nature.
For poultry feed, this could help the industry produce special proteins, enzymes or antibodies inside of the grain crops that already being used in poultry feed. The process involves the targeted modification of DNA sequences in living plant cells.
“Can we move away from chemical and toward more biological crop inputs?” said Ailloni. “Are there better combinations of the things that we make – proteins, amino acids, that sort of thing – to improve nutrient availability and be better for the animal?”
The technology has other uses in food production as well, including plant-based protein formulation, bio surveillance and monitoring for the spread of infectious diseases like avian influenza and the development of new vaccines for humans and animals. In people, synthetic biology helped create the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Bioengineering is not something big and scary. It’s helping us to feed to world,” Ailloni said, noting that one of the biggest challenges of synthetic biology use will be “helping people help consumers understand the value of biotechnology in the food system.”
