Deploying Synthetic Biology in the Water Industry

Urban water systems are key foundations of any modern society, impacting on the quality of life of millions of people. The key challenge is to continue to maintain the provision of safe water supplies, hygienic sanitation and good environmental management in a sustainable manner in spite of increased urbanisation, aging infrastructure and changing climate conditions. To achieve performance targets, current management strategies often focus on chemical or physical based techniques - which are expensive and energy intensive. In this cross disciplinary feasibility account, we aim to study the feasibility of engineering novel biological solutions ( Synthetic Biology ) to generate more sustainable solutions to these challenges without the need for large infrastructure investment or energy use. Synthetic biology is an emerging scientific field that applies engineering principles to biology. In essence, synthetic biology's main concept is to design and construct new biological parts and devices, using biological knowledge and engineering design principles, to manufacture new biological systems with features not found in nature, as well as re-designing or re-engineering existing biological systems for more useful purposes. Therefore, success in this new area requires communication, cohesion and collaboration from engineers and scientists within an appropriate ethical, social and legal framework. An overarching aim is to make things for the benefit of mankind. Synthetic biology's use in the water industry is highly speculative and so we will focus on testing the scientific feasibility of addressing two significant issues - pathogen detection and sewer flooding. The associated social interactions will also be investigated as these may result in barriers to uptake of this novel technology by the water industry, which, given its regulated nature is not normally associated with the implementation of potentially controversial technology. The activities supported by this outward looking and collaborative feasibility account will consolidate the core and emerging strengths of the Pennine Water Group (PWG) with expertise of the BBSRC funded Sheffield Synthetic Biology network MATEs. Interconnected research themes include (1) pathogen detection throughout the potable water supply (2) performance enhancement within existing sewer network infrastructure and (3) social contexts of technological developments and applications. These themes will be addressed through a series of activities based around workshops, scientific programmes and dedicated periods of dissemination and proposal preparation to extend the application of synthetic biology in the water industry beyond the lifespan of this account.

Synthetic biology is dominated by groups in the USA, especially in the San Francisco area and at MIT. Businesses are being built in the area already. Of the 18 examples of companies engaged in synthetic biology given in the recent Royal Academy of Engineering report, only 4 were based in Europe and none directly in the UK [ref: Synthetic Biology: scope, applications and implications - Royal Academy of Engineering (2009) ISBN: 1-903496-44-6]. It is therefore strategically important for Europe, and in particular the UK, to take a strong role in this emergent field, or risk falling behind. It is also vital that synthetic biology techniques and philosophy be cemented into research and development in the UK, in an appropriate ethical and legal framework, so as to ensure successful future growth of new industries and/or improved efficiencies in established ones. We believe that this new collaboration is well placed to make progress in this important and emerging research area for the UK with regard to a large industrial sector. We base this on the fact that we comprise a powerful mix of expertise in engineering/physical sciences (biochemical engineering, systems biology, civil/environmental engineering) and the life, and social sciences. The broader beneficiaries are: 1. Scientific Community (a) Life Science and Engineering disciplines advance through mutual understanding of techniques and development of questions. (b) Collaboration between key academics already engaged in individual synergistic aspects, so ready to address new challenges. 2. Generic Skills (a) Science and social science through cross-fertilisation of ideas and upstream discussion (b) Social science, law and ethics, development of policy, regulation in parallel with emerging science, and generation of case studies 3. Industry (UK plc) Potential commercial application of a platform set of technologies (water industry and biotechnology companies etc) with public acceptance that can be used both in the UK and overseas. The development of new technologies for water supply and sanitation has been recognised as an emerging area by EPSRC via signposting and the funding of a Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform by the EU in the FR7 program. 4. Public/society (a) Non-passive acceptance of science to meet social need, socially robust science, dialogue with scientists (quality of life) (b) The general public - urban waters systems (supply and drainage) are used and funded by all members of society. The ability to maintain current performance standards and to provide the desired enhanced levels of public protection is becoming increasingly challenging. New technologies are required to meet these aspirations at reasonable cost. The UK water industry is relatively risk adverse when adopting new technologies but the scale of the challenges it is facing means that a step change in technological capability is needed to respond to the anticipated impact of new regulations and climate change.