“Synthetic biology gained momentum in the early 2000s, and many corporations sought to introduce biological processes using synthetic biology. However, most of them ended in failure at the time due to a lack of understanding of biological phenomena.”
Shin Jong-o, a professor of biology at Chonnam National University, noted at the 'Korean Society for Bioprocessing Spring Conference and International Symposium' forum for early-career researchers held at Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) on 3rd, “Although synthetic biology lagged in the past, the outlook has changed now,” adding that “recent developments in automation technology and artificial intelligence (AI) deepen the understanding of cells, leading to a resurgence in synthetic biology.”
The Korean Society for Bioprocessing's forum for early-career researchers introduces researchers who have been appointed to universities and government research institutions for about a year. Among the 14 early-career researchers in the biotechnology field who attended the forum, 9 are studying in the field of synthetic biology. A significant portion of the presentation program at the academic conference held on 2nd and 3rd also focused on synthetic biology, indicating a strong interest in synthetic biology within the bioprocessing community.
Synthetic biology is a technology that modifies cells to create desired substances. It involves altering genes involved in the metabolic processes of animals, plants, or bacteria to create cellular factories that do not exist in nature. It has primarily been used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to produce antibody drugs and hormones, but recently there has been a movement to replace petrochemical processes. For instance, using synthetic biology technology, chemical substances extracted from petroleum can be produced by microorganisms.
Kim Dong-myung, president of the Korean Society for Bioprocessing (a professor at Chungnam National University), said, “Traditional synthetic biology required the development of microbial strains for substance synthesis and repeated experimental processes, making it a field that demanded significant time and labor in research and development (R&D).” He added, “Recently, with the automation of experiments and the introduction of AI to interpret data, it has been proven that actual industrial application is possible.” As Kim indicated, past attempts to implement biological processes were often thwarted by numerous failures, but recently, as corporations have begun to yield results, interest in R&D has also increased.
The industry is also accelerating the introduction of biological processes based on synthetic biology. Kim explained, “Synthetic biology is a technology used not only for biological processes but also for the development of cell therapies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs),” noting that “it has the potential to become a key component of Korea's food industry alongside semiconductors and secondary batteries.”
Notably, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) in the biopharmaceutical sector are continuing to achieve strong performances. Samsung Biologics reported a revenue of 4.5 trillion won and an operating profit of 1.3 trillion won last year, marking its largest performance ever. The biotechnology industry expects Samsung Biologics to continue its growth trajectory. Celltrion also surpassed 3.5 trillion won in revenue last year, reflecting a 63.45% increase from the previous year. Lotte Group has also decided to invest 4.6 trillion won in Lotte Biologics.
Biological processes are also being rapidly introduced in the food and petrochemical sectors. CJ CheilJedang established the first food biofoundry in the food industry and operates 11 factories in seven countries. Hyosung TNC revealed a plan to invest 1 trillion won to establish biological process facilities in Vietnam. Hyosung TNC aims to enhance its white biotechnology business that produces petrochemical materials through bioprocessing.
South Korea has enacted the world's first 'Synthetic Biology Promotion Act.' On 2nd, the Synthetic Biology Promotion Act passed in the National Assembly. With this legislation, the government will establish plans for the promotion of synthetic biology every five years and move toward technology standardization. Legal grounds have also been laid to foster specialized talent in synthetic biology and promote international cooperation.
Lee Sang-yeop, private co-chair of the National Bio Committee (deputy research president of KAIST), stated, “I believe it will be impossible to build competitiveness in any bio-industry without synthetic biology in the future.” He continued, “Until now, the slow pace of development in the bio-industry has led to many cases where businesses were stopped or abandoned midway, but as full-scale industrialization begins, the research community will collaborate to accelerate achievements.”