​From Microscope to Large Scale: Synthetic Biology is the Technology that Can Solve The Biggest Problems of Our Time. Here’s How.

Samir Hamadache | Forest City SynBio Synthetic biology is cool. That is one of the only words I have to describe it. With synbio, it is possible to make leather without using an animal, plants that are resistant to extreme weather, and meat grown in a petri dish. The applications are truly endless.    In this conversation, we talk with Samir Hamadache, who has a PhD in biochemistry and is the co founder and CTO of Forest City SynBio. Samir is leading the synthetic biology revolution, so we talk with him about his vision for global problems synbio will be applied to. And Samir says that practically every industry will be infiltrated with some form of synthetic biology.    We start this episode with a definition of synthetic biology, and understanding the process of synbio (the example we use in this episode is the process of creating leather without the animal), and the technology and science that powers all synbio creations.   And at the end of the episode we zoom out (away from the single petri dish of synthetic leather) and explore the massive crossroads that humanity finds itself at: we have the power to change what it means to be human. Will we use this power or not? Who will create the rules that will regulate this technology?    Welcome to this conversation where we start small scale and examine synthetic biology under the microscope, before zooming out to view what synbio means for humanity.