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Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
Published on: March 9, 2017
Revolutionizing agriculture with synthetic biology
Eleanore T Wurtzel1,2, Claudia E Vickers3,4, Andrew D Hanson5
1Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA. wurtzel@lehman.cuny.edu.
Abstract:
Synthetic biology is here to stay and will transform agriculture if given the chance. The huge challenges facing food, fuel and chemical production make it vital to give synthetic biology that chance-notwithstanding the shifts in mindset, training and infrastructure investment this demands. Here, we assess opportunities for agricultural synthetic biology and ways to remove barriers to their realization.
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