Engineered Living Materials: Taxonomies and Emerging Trends

The fusion of synthetic biology with classical materials science has yielded breakthrough innovations and spawned a new biotechnology field: engineered living (ELMs). Taxonomic classifications ELM research highlight states the art, opportunities, challenges, emerging trends. Opportunities abound to engineer bacteria, fungi, plants, mammalian cells, diverse consortia those organisms produce – persist within complex, biologically active for applications in therapeutics, electronics, construction, beyond. Principal challenges maturing field concern scaling beyond biofilm, increasing production rates volumes, engineering microorganisms, developing policies related biocontainment, standardized metrology, workforce development address global scientific challenges. At intersection science, (ELMs) evolved into new, standalone discipline. bioengineering’s design–build–test–learn approaches synthesis functional However, transdisciplinary nature its rapid growth made holistic comprehension achievements tools, techniques, ELMs difficult across disciplines. To this end, review proposes an emergent taxonomy uses categorization discuss current trends state-of-the-art advancements, significant imminent scientists engineers field. aggregates fiber-like proteins. formation or accumulation minerals by especially biological tissues structures (e.g., bones, teeth, shells). multistep, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted more complex products organisms. concurrent cultivation multiple A microbial consortium is group two different species that work together function at higher level than they could alone. as artifacts, composed cells form assemble material itself modulate performance some manner. As field, integration biology, namely, rational methodology design re-design express purpose production, science. qualitative measure how straightforward it create mutant organism either completely lacks gene which product expressed first time and/or excess. concerning discovery materials. Materials study processing influences structure affects properties performance. single organism. supporting framework hydrogels, hydrogel–sand composites) on can grow proteins, polymers, be affixed. bioengineering involves application principles (i.e., design–build–test–learn) (and re-design) useful purposes them have abilities. aims program cell differentiate tissues, structures, systems. orderly classification. In context review, taxons include scale, approach, organism, function, end-use application. mathematical method optimizes layout given space set forces, boundary conditions, constraints goal maximizing structural efficiency entire system. strain, gene, other characteristic prevails natural distinct from atypical (or engineered) type.