< Previous7 /9 2 /10 9 TRL /9 S MART DRUGS, which are in the Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new ways to enhance and improve human memory and memory retention, and concentration. Recent breakthroughs in the field include the development of new drug compounds which boost human cognitive ability by a factor of 30 percent. DEFINITION Smart Drugs are a group of pharmaceuticals that improve mental functions such as concentration, intelligence and memory beyond average Human levels. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Smart Drugs to help people with severe concentration and memory issues regain some level of normality. In the future the primary use case of this technology will be to continue to help people improve their concentration and memory capabilities but the use of these products will be much more widely spread. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, primarily led by organisations in the Healthcare sector, with support from univesity grants. In time we will see the technology mature to the point where it will be commercialised and sold as off the shelf products, however, before that happens there will be significant regulatory hurdles to overcome which will slow down the adoption and rate of development of the technology. While Smart Drugs are in the Productised Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Brain Machine Interfaces, Gene Editing, and Neuro-Prosthetics, but at this point in time it is not clear what they will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 6 6 4 6 8 2 2 7 1995 2008 2010 2017 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT SMART DRUGS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘20, ‘21, ‘22 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 170311institute.com MRL5 /9 4 /10 8 TRL /9 S MART MEDICINE, which is still in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, is the field of medicine involved with producing Smart Drugs, that enhance people’s mental performance, as well as the use of different technologies, that engender drugs, pills, and other medical treatments with intelligence that allows doctors to precisely control and monitor their behaviours. As a field Smart Medicine holds a lot of promise, primarily because today most drug delivery systems and treatments, for example Chemotherapy, indescriminately flood the body with drugs rather than delivering them precisely to where they’re needed where they can have the greatest effect with the smallest doses. The field is also broad, ranging from sensor equipped Smart Pills that release drugs at precise times and locations, all the way through to Nano-Medicine technologies, and even the use of Biological Computers that turn living cells into sentinels within the body capable of identifying diseases and manufacturing the drugs needed to eliminate them on demand and in vivo. DEFINITION Smart Medicines are a group of delivery systems, medicines, and treatments that are infused or combined with smart technologies that help boost their efficacy and effectivness. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Smart Medicine to create sensor laden Smart Pills that release specific quantities of drugs, to precise locations within the human body, in response to specific stimulii. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade research in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow. There is currently a lot of buzz about the potential of Smart Medicine, which not only plays into the popularity around Personalised Medicine, but also into the buzz around Quantified Self, all with the added benefit of being able to precisely control and monitor the behaviours of individual treatments. While Smart Medicine is still in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, over the long term it is unlikely to be replaced, instead it will be enhanced by other technologies including CRISPR Gene Editing, In Vivo Gene Editing, Nano- Medicine, Semi-Synthetic Cells, and Synthetic Cells. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 4 5 5 8 6 6 8 1998 2002 2011 2017 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19 SMART MEDICINE EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 171311institute.com MRL6 /9 9 /10 9 TRL /9 S TEM CELL TECHNOLOGY, which is still in the Prototype Stage and Productisation Stage, is the use Stem Cells, the fundamental building blocks of all life on Earth, to create new treatments that improve patient longevity and survivability. While the technology first came to fame in the 1980’s it has seen a dramatic renaissance over the past few years with a multitude of breakthroughs, including the creation of the world’s first generic, synthetic stem cells, that have helped researchers unravel the mysteries and mechanics of how Stem Cells turn into different differentiated cells which can be used to create basic replica organs and tissues that can then be used in medical treatments. Additionally, however, while researchers are using stem cells to grow replacement organs and tissues, as well as edible meat known as Clean Meat, the advent of 3D Bio-Printing now means researchers can now print organs and tissues, made from stem cells, on demand, and this will accelerate the development and adoption of the technology. DEFINITION Stem Cell Technology is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today Stem Cell Technology is being used to create everything from replacement bones, which have been transplanted into patients who have suffered bone loss as a result of Cancer, replacement Heart tissue, which has been used to replace dead and scarred heart tissue after heart attacks, and replacement teeth. Furthermore, in other areas researchers have been using the technology to grow Clean Meat, meat without the animal, in Bioreactors, and as a result, the potential of the technology is almost unlimited. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the course of the next decade research in the space will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, all of which will be accelerated by dramatic developments in the complimentary 3D Bio-Printing field. While Stem Cell Technology is still in the Prototype Stage and Productisation Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by CRISPR Gene Editing, Semi-Synthetic Cells, and Synthetic Cells, but it is unlikely to be replaced. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 7 4 3 7 9 7 7 8 1987 1997 2002 2016 2038 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19, ‘23 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 172311institute.com MRL4 /9 6 /10 7 TRL /9 S YNTHETIC BLOOD, which is in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with finding new ways to replace the blood in our body with alternatives that have the same utlity of real blood, but that can be created and or made available on demand without the need for human blood banks or transfusions. Recently there have been a spate of breakthroughs in this field, including powdered blood, and the development of lab grown blood cells from Stem Cells which then went on to be successfully trialled in human patients in the UK. DEFINITION Synthetic Blood is a lab made substance that mimics and fulfils the functions of biological blood. EXAMPLE USE CASES Every year people die because they can’t get the blood transfusions that they need but increasingly the ability to produce blood on demand in a lab, or elsewhere, means that hospitals and patients everywhere will one day be able to get a constant cheap supply of whatever blood groups they need, which is not only revolutionary but is also life changing and saving. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest and investment in Synthetic Blood increase, albeit from a low base, primarily led by organisations in the Defense and Healthcare sectors. Being able to create human blood on demand has been a long held dream for many doctors and researchers and now that we can this technology is nothing short of revolutionary. Furthermore, as we get better at creating designer blood, which could have applications in the Human Hybrid Immune System field, there is also the likelihood that this same technology could be applied to produce designer blood that helps combat different ailments and diseases in new ways, so one giant leap could lead to many more. While Synthetic Blood is still in the Prototype Stage it could be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, CRISPR, Hybrid Human Immune Systems, Materials, Synthetic Biology, and other technologies, however over the long term it’s unclear what it could be superseded by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 4 2 6 9 4 2 8 1963 2006 2016 2041 2043 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT SYNTHETIC BLOOD STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘24, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 173311institute.com MRL3 /9 9 /10 4 TRL /9 S YNTHETIC CELLS, which are still in the Concept Stage and early Prototype Stage, are fully artificial cells that are not found anywhere in nature. While the creation of fully artificial cells, whatever their abilities or properties, is still beyond our grasp, the use cases for the technology would be unlimited, impacting every sector, and potentially every product category, from batteries and energy production, to drugs, materials, and even sensors. DEFINITION Synthetic Cells are cells that are wholly artificially manufactured using a variety of different technologies and techniques. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we have created Synthetic Cells with artificial membranes and cell walls that can withstand highly toxic conditions that would kill ordinary biological cells FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade research in the space will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment in will grow, albeit at a slow to moderate rate. Given the sheer complexity of the field, and our current lack of understanding of the mechanics that control and drive cell behaviours, let alone navigating the ethical and regulatory questions surrounding the technology, it is highly likely that the pace of progress in the field will be slow, and then accelerate exponentially over the coming decades. That said though it is also inevitable that there will be breakthroughs along the way and that work in the field will find itself being gradually productised. While Synthetic Cells are still in the Concept Stage and early Prototype Stage, over the long term the technology will be enhanced by advances in 3D Bio-Printing, 3D Printing, Bio- Manufacturing, CRISPR Gene Editing, In Vivo Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Technology, Molecular Assemblers, and Synthetic Cells, but not replaced. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, and re-visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 2 1 3 6 2 2 7 1995 2003 2018 2026 2052 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22 SYNTHETIC CELLS EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 174311institute.com MRL5 /9 9 /10 5 TRL /9 S YNTHETIC DNA, which is in the early Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new ways to create artificial or synthetic DNA that are unlike anything found in nature. Recent breakthroughs in the space include the development of new 6 and 8 base pair DNA which has no natural equal and whose impact, to create everything from new biological products and even alien lifeforms with almost unimaginable new capabilities and traits, such as being immune to all known pathogens, is unlimited. DEFINITION Synthetic DNA is an unatural and artificial form of DNA that has no equal or equivalent in nature that is made up of either six or eight DNA base pairs rather than the usual four. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Synthetic DNA to create new alien life forms, such as bacteria, that are immune to every known pathogen on Earth, and needless to say the ability to create biological products and lifeforms with 6 and 8 base pair DNA opens up a true Pandora’s Box of infinite potential. In the future this technology will be used in any product or sector that has a genetic component, whether it is in the creation of designer humans, Biological Computing and Biological Electronics, or Bio-Manufacturing and Synthetic Biology, to name but a few. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by organisations in the Healthcare sector, with support from univesity grants. In time we will see the technology mature to the point where it creates a new era of evolution and infinite opportunity, however, it will likely face some of the strictest regulatory scrutiny we have ever seen which will delay its adoption and development. While Synthetic DNA is in the early Prototype Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Bio-Printing, 4D-Bio-Printing, Bio-Manufacturing, Biological Computing, DNA Computing, CAST, CRISPR, Gene Drives, Molecular Assemblers, Semi-Synthetic Cells, Synthetic Biology, and Synthetic Cells, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, and establish a point of view, and re-visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 4 2 7 9 1 1 8 1971 1982 2017 2026 2045 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT SYNTHETIC DNA STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 175311institute.com MRL4 /9 10 5 TRL /9 S YNTHETIC LIFEFORMS, which is in the Prototype Stage and early Commercialisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing living, and in some cases replicating, synthetic lifeforms that are man made and therefore unnatural. As we see big strides being made in Synthetic Biology it’s becoming increasingly feasible for researchers to create new kinds of life forms with novel properties that would never have existed in nature. At the moment most Synthetic Lifeforms are part natural and part synthetic, however in time there’s little doubt we’ll see the creation of fully synthetic lifeforms, including synthetic Humans. Recent breakthroughs in this field include the development of the first Yeast cell that was 50% artificial and 50% natural which was a giant leap from previous iterations. DEFINITION Synthetic Lifeforms are engineered living organisms created using Synthetic Biology that have distinct functions or properties. EXAMPLE USE CASES The primary use case for this technology is to create bio- engineered life forms, such as bacteria, that can then be used in Bio-Manufacturing to make new drugs, enzymes, materials, and other valuable products. Other use cases include creating lifeforms that can clear up toxic chemicals and spills, for example in mining operations, industrial bio-technology and bioinformatics applications, as well as new kinds of biological and living sensors, and many other use cases. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest and investment in Synthetic Lifeforms increase, primarily led by the Healthcare and Manufacturing sectors and university grants. While this technology refers to any organism whose genetic makeup has been in part or in whole synthesised in a lab, rather than through natural selection or selective breeding, its potential use cases are almost limitless - as is often the way with “nature.” But there are huge ethical and regulatory hurdles to overcome before it goes mainstream. While Synthetic Lifeforms are still in the Prototype and early Commercialisation Stage it could be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Biological AI and Computing, CRISPR, Quantum Computing, Synthetic Biology, Synthetic DNA, and other technologies, however over the long term it’s unclear what it could be superseded by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 6 5 8 8 5 2 8 1932 1953 2023 2053 2073 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT SYNTHETIC LIFEFORMS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 176311institute.com MRL5 /9 7 /10 9 TRL /9 S YNTHETIC PROTEINS, which are in the early Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to develop new proteins with new capabilities and functionalities that don’t exist in nature. Recently there have been major breakthroughs in the field, and with literally everything to play for the upsides of getting this technology right could be world changing. These breakthroughs include the development of an AI that can model and simulate any protein - natural or unnatural - and which broke biology’s “50 year Grand Challenge,” and the development of new complex and large synthetic proteins with tens of thousands of amino acids and millions of atoms. DEFINITION Synthetic Proteins are proteins that have been synthesised. EXAMPLE USE CASES The applications of Synthetic Proteins is vast, from transforming human healthcare and accelerating the development of Cellular Recorders, as well as new drugs and even lifeforms, through to their roles in the development of new Bio-Active Materials, Bio-Manufacturing processes and products, biochemicals, biofuels and new energy alternatives, drug manufacturing, electronic interfaces, foods, molecular machines and nanomachines, sensors, therapeutics, wonder materials, and much more. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest in this field accelerate dramatically, predominantly led by the Healthcare sector, and supported with government grants. With new developments in many complimentary technology areas interest in this field has increased significantly with increasingly giant teams of researchers on the front line now focused on productising the technology. While the exact date of when certain product categories will emerge is fuzzy there is no doubt that this technology will play a significant role in the future of humanity. While Synthetic Proteins are still in the early Productisation Stage they could be enhanced by advances in AI, Biological Computing, Cellular Recorders, Living Pharmacies and Living Materials, Quantum Computing, Synthetic Biology, and other technologies, however over the long term it’s unclear what it could be superseded by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 4 3 7 9 4 2 8 1968 1980 2014 2022 2037 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT SYNTHETIC PROTEINS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘23, ‘24 177311institute.com MRL EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech.3 /10 7 TRL /9 T ISSUE ENGINEERING, which is still in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, is a relatively old field that has seen a dramatic uptick in interest in recent years. This is partly fuelled by the up surge of interest in other complimentary technology fields, such as 3D Bio- Printing, Regenerative Medicine, Nanotransfection, and Stem Cell Technology, where there are research overlaps. Tissue Engineeering, which can at a crude level be thought of construction for organs, plays a vital role in helping researchers create viable, replacement organs and tissues that can be used in medical treatments. In order to achieve this researchers have to figure out the right way to combine different biological materials, and scaffolds and growth factors, that help those organs grow in the right shape with the right biological and mechanical properties. DEFINITION Tissue Engineering is the use of a combination of cells, materials and suitable biochemical and physiochemical factors to improve or replace biological functions. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Tissue Engineering to create viable, replacement Arteries, Bladders, Cartilage, Skin Grafts, and Trachea, which have already been implanted into patients. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade research in the space will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow. Furthermore the inter-dependencies between all of the aforementioned technologies means that Tissue Engineering will get a bump and play an increasingly vital role in helping us realise our eventual goals of creating replacement organs and tissues. While Tissue Engineering is still in the Prototype Stage and early Productisation Stage, over the long term purely biological products will eventually be enhanced by other technologies such as Flexible Electronics, Semi-Synthetic Cells, Sensors, and Synthetic cells, to create hybrid organs and tissues with new and enhanced capabilities. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 8 5 6 7 8 7 6 9 1968 2004 2009 2015 2040 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT TISSUE ENGINEERING STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 178311institute.com 4 /9 MRL5 /9 6 /10 9 TRL /9 T ISSUE NANOTRANSFECTION, which is in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with finding new ways to transform skin and other human tissues into other tissue types which can then be used in therapies and transplants on demand. Recently there have been multiple breakthroughs in the field across different tissue types including the development of a Nanochip that gives tissues a mild electric shock in order to reprogram them at the genetic level and transform them into other kinds of human tissues which can then be used to treat everything from muscle loss to nerve damage. DEFINITION Tissue Nanotransfection is the use of non-invasive technologies to reprogram the body’s biological tissues and functions. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today Tissue Nanotransfection is being used to transform skin tissue into all manner of other useful tissue types including blood vessels, muscle tissue, and nerve tissues which can then be transplanted into patients to treat different chronic conditions. There have also been examples of it being used to achieve cell-specific gene editing of skin tissue to accelerate and improve wound healing in burns and diabetic patients. Looking ahead this technology will also have significant implications for the field of Regeneritive Medicine. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest in Tissue Nanotransfection accelerate, albeit from a low base, predominantly led by the healthcare sector and government and military grants. The ability to transform a patients own tissues into other kinds of usable tissues gives doctors access to a valuable literal on demand “tissue library” which can be used in all kinds of treatments, and with signs that regulators are willing to authorise treatments, the future for this technology, provided it can receive the funding and support it needs looks promising. While Tissue Nanotransfection is still in the Prototype Stage it could be enhanced by advances in AI, 3D and 4D Bio- Printing, Bio-Electronic Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, Synthetic Biology, and other technologies, however over the long term it could be replaced by Organ Printing. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 4 4 7 8 5 7 8 1981 1993 2018 2027 2035 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT TISSUE NANOTRANSFECTION STARBURST APPEARANCES: NONE EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 179311institute.com MRLNext >