Collaborating constructively for sustainable biotechnology.

ABSTRACT: Tackling the pressing sustainability needs of society will require the development and application of new technologies. Biotechnology, emboldened by recent advances in synthetic biology, offers to generate sustainable biologically-based routes to chemicals and materials as alternatives to fossil-derived incumbents. Yet, the sustainability potential of biotechnology is not without trade-offs. Here, we probe this capacity for sustainability for the case of bio-based nylon using both deliberative and analytical approaches within a framework of Constructive Sustainability Assessment. We highlight the potential for life cycle CO₂ and N₂O savings with bio-based processes, but report mixed results in other environmental and social impact categories. Importantly, we demonstra

SUBMITTER: Matthews NE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6910968 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature