Rapid Response: The promise and peril of engineering biology, w/Ginkgo Bioworks Reshma Shetty

Healthcare

Ginkgo Bioworks has been instrumental in scaling mRNA vaccine manufacturing, collaborating with Moderna to drive down costs and increase production. Reshma Shetty explains that their approach was akin to a lean startup, rapidly testing hypotheses to find viable solutions for vaccine manufacturing and K-12 testing 1. She emphasizes the moral obligation they felt to contribute to the pandemic response, launching various experimental programs to see how they could be useful 2.

We realized that in order to have an effective pandemic response, it was going to need to be a multipronged approach.

--- Reshma Shetty

Their efforts have had a significant impact on public health and the perception of biotechnology.

   

Food & Agri

Ginkgo's mission extends beyond healthcare to revolutionize the food supply chain and agricultural practices. Reshma Shetty highlights the potential of biotechnology to address critical issues in food production and environmental sustainability 3. She underscores the importance of making biology easier to engineer to achieve these goals.

Our mission at Ginkgo is to make biology easier to engineer.

--- Reshma Shetty

The advancements in this field could lead to significant improvements in how we grow and make food, ultimately benefiting society at large.

   

Biosecurity

Biosecurity is a critical aspect of Ginkgo's work, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reshma Shetty discusses the need for rapid response tools and the integration of biosecurity measures in biotechnology development 4. She argues that the tools being developed for engineering biology can also be used to address biosecurity issues.

The best security we can offer is a very rapid response defense.

--- Reshma Shetty

Investing in biosecurity is not only crucial for public health but also for economic stability.