Gulliver’s Next Travels: A Journey into the Land of Biomaterials and Synthetic Life

Abstract

This chapter explores the state-of-the-art in research into the synthesis of new biomaterials. The underlying question is to what extent it may become possible in the future to create new life or possibly even human life using these materials. Recent research in this area has produced materials such as a synthetic equivalent of spider silk, which is biodegradable, can be broken down by the human body and is therefore ideal for medical applications. Another possible application of such biomaterials is ‘smart drug delivery’, a technique in which nanocapsules transport drugs or genes to specific parts of the body and which could, for example, be used to treat metabolic diseases. When made of biosynthetic materials, these capsules could be broken down by the body, thus minimising the chance of side effects or rejection. Eventually, scientists hope to be able to create new life using these biomaterials.

Translated by Lydia ten Brummelhuis.