Daily Update: Synthetic Biology at the Intersection of Speculation and Potential
Today is Wednesday, July 3, 2024, and here’s your curated selection of essential intelligence on financial markets and the global economy from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Hacking biology makes people very uncomfortable. While humans have engaged in genetic manipulation since farming first emerged in the Fertile Crescent, the combination of biology and technology is inherently unsettling. The unintended consequences of poor decisions are grim to contemplate.
These days, scientists have CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) — a technology that allows for the direct editing of specific DNA sequences within a genome. The combination of this technology and generative AI will likely accelerate and scale up the research, testing and production of novel genes that have the potential to transform economies and societies. The problem with unintended consequences is precisely that they are unintended. The risks and the rewards will remain speculative until they are not.
Miriam Fernandez, a research specialist at S&P Global who studies AI, recently published an article exploring the possibilities and risks for synthetic biology in the age of artificial intelligence. In the article, “Artificial Intelligence Powering Synthetic Biology: The Fundamentals,” she reviews the current state of synthetic biology and the possibilities that could be unlocked using AI.
Synthetic biology is a relatively new field that is concerned with reading, editing and writing DNA to create new entities. Synthetic biology is being used in the fields of manufacturing, pharmacology and agriculture and has potential additional applications in healthcare and renewable energy. AI could change the innovation trajectory of synthetic biology through its ability to learn from vast data sets, detect hidden patterns in large amounts of data and scale laboratory testing through automation. From the perspective of synthetic biology, a genome is simply a vast dataset, and AI excels at integrating and analyzing large datasets.
The use of AI in synthetic biology could unlock many opportunities, from the fields of healthcare and agriculture to industrial engineering and clean energy. To take a single example, a synthetic biological organism could be manipulated to fix large amounts of carbon, or it could be used to produce an abundant and affordable source of food to alleviate global hunger. The use of big data in biology presents unprecedented opportunities for researchers.
However, the risks of automating and scaling the manipulation of genomes using AI are concerning. With or without human control of the process, the possibility exists that synthetic organisms could threaten species diversity and ecosystem balance. There is the potential to create new biological weapons or human enhancements for military applications. There is also the dangerous possibility of hackers breaching or even manipulating biological data. All these risks will require strong international safety and governance frameworks and the development of ethical prohibitions on certain types of manipulation.
Today is Wednesday, July 3, 2024, and here is today’s essential intelligence. The next edition of the Daily Update will be published Monday, July 8.
Written by Nathan Hunt.
Sustainability
Decarbonization On The Norwegian Continental Shelf — Martin Linge Case Study
Decarbonization has become a critical objective for the global energy sector, with Norway taking a leading role through its growing number of Power from Shore (PFS) projects. By replacing traditional gas and diesel-powered generators at offshore oil and gas platforms with cleaner onshore electricity, PFS projects contribute to a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with Norway's ambitious climate goals.
—Read the article from S&P Global Commodity Insights
Economy
Top Five Takeaways From June's Global Survey Data As Manufacturing Price Inflation Accelerates
At 50.9 in June, the Global Manufacturing PMI, sponsored by J.P.Morgan and compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, recorded above 50.0 neutral mark (and therefore indicating improving business conditions) for a fifth successive month. Down from 51.0 in May, the latest data signalled a marginal easing in the rate of improvement, though nevertheless points to the second-strongest upturn seen over the past two years and represents a further recovery from the downturn in manufacturing which began in the latter half of 2022, through to 2023.
—Read the article from S&P Global Market Intelligence
Capital Markets
Global Credit Conditions Q3 2024: Soft Landing, Fragmenting Trajectories
Most economies have seen solid growth in 2024 so far, while upgrades have outnumbered downgrades year-to-date among corporates, financial institutions and sovereigns. However, this may prove a high point because we expect growth to slow in the year's second half while rates remain elevated.
—Read the article from S&P Global Ratings
Global Trade
Senegal Turns Oil Exporter As Maiden Sangomar Crude Cargo Loads
Senegal's maiden crude cargo is loading at Woodside's Sangomar oil project, three weeks after the West African country achieved first oil, ship-tracking data and market sources said. At 1 pm London time (1200 GMT) on July 1, the Greek-flagged Maran Poseidon crude tanker arrived at the 100,000 b/d project's export terminal, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data, which lists Shell International Trading as the charterer of the 1.06 million-barrel capacity vessel.
—Read the article from S&P Global Commodity Insights
Energy & Commodities
Listen: Hot Gas Summer For A Hot Power Market
With high temperatures moving through the US, multiple regions are preparing for gas and power price volatility. Gas supply constraints or cooling demand could result in power demand spikes. Data centers have been increasing power and gas requirements in some areas, power generators have been competing for gas supplies with LNG terminals along the Gulf Coast, and high gas storage levels in Southern California could lower gas and power prices from past summers. Americas gas editorial lead J Robinson and senior power editor Jared Anderson discuss these factors in the natural gas and power market outlook for summer 2024.
—Listen and subscribe to the podcast from S&P Global Commodity Insights
Technology & Innovation
S&P 500 Rises 3.5% In June As Information Technology Sector Jumps
Large-cap stock indexes rose during June, extending the S&P 500's rally into a second straight month. The S&P 500 rose 3.5% during the month, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.1%. Smaller-cap stocks, though, struggled as the Russell 2000 index shed 1.1% during the month. Technology stocks continued to drive the mega-cap S&P 500 higher as investors jump into artificial intelligence and related stocks.
—Read the article from S&P Global Market Intelligence
Events & Webinars
40th Annual APPEC Conference (September 9 – 12)
Building on the success of previous years, APPEC 2024 promises to deliver another exceptional experience filled with thought-provoking discussions, expert insights and unparalleled networking opportunities. Join us, as we gather to explore the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the global energy landscape.
—Register for the conference from S&P Global Commodity Insights
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