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Synthetic Biology: The $3.6 Trillion Science Changing Life as We Know It Posted: 10 May 2022 11:38 AM PDT Can I share this graphic? Yes. Visualizations are free to share and post in their original form across the web—even for publishers. Please link back to this page and attribute Visual Capitalist. When do I need a license? Licenses are required for some commercial uses, translations, or layout modifications. You can even whitelabel our visualizations. Explore your options. Interested in this piece? Click here to license this visualization. How Synthetic Biology Could Change Life as we Know it Synthetic biology (synbio) is a field of science that redesigns organisms in an effort to enhance and support human life. According to one projection, this rapidly growing field of science is expected to reach $28.8 billion in global revenue by 2026. Although it has the potential to transform many aspects of society, things could go horribly wrong if synbio is used for malicious or unethical reasons. This infographic explores the opportunities and potential risks that this budding field of science has to offer. What is Synthetic Biology? We've covered the basics of synbio in previous work, but as a refresher, here's a quick explanation of what synbio is and how it works. Synbio is an area of scientific research that involves editing and redesigning different biological components and systems in various organisms. It's like genetic engineering but done at a more granular level—while genetic engineering transfers ready-made genetic material between organisms, synbio can build new genetic material from scratch. The Opportunities of Synbio This field of science has a plethora of real-world applications that could transform our everyday lives. A study by McKinsey found over 400 potential uses for synbio, which were broken down into four main categories: Human health and performance Agriculture and food Consumer products and services Materials and energy production If those potential uses become reality in the coming years, they could have a direct economic impact of up to $3.6 trillion per year by 2030-2040. 1. Human Health and Performance The medical and health sector is predicted to be significantly influenced by synbio, with an economic impact of up to $1.3 trillion each year by 2030-2040. Synbio has a wide range of medical applications. For instance, it can be used to manipulate biological pathways in yeast to produce an anti-malaria treatment. It could also enhance gene therapy. Using synbio techniques, the British biotech company Touchlight Genetics is working on a way to build synthetic DNA without the use of bacteria, which would be a game-changer for the field of gene therapy. 2. Agriculture and Food Synbio has the potential to make a big splash in the agricultural sector as well—up to $1.2 trillion per year by as early as 2030. One example of this is synbio's role in cellular agriculture, which is when meat is created from cells directly. The cost of creating lab-grown meat has decreased significantly in recent years, and because of this, various startups around the world are beginning to develop a variety of cell-based meat products. 3. Consumer Products and Services Using synthetic biology, products could be tailored to suit an individual’s unique needs. This would be useful in fields such as genetic ancestry testing, gene therapy, and age-related skin procedures. By 2030-2040, synthetic biology could have an economic impact on consumer products and services to the tune of up to $800 billion per year. 4. Materials and Energy Production Synbio could also be used to boost efficiency in clean energy and biofuel production. For instance, microalgae are currently being "reprogrammed" to produce clean energy in an economically feasible way. This, along with other material and energy improvements through synbio methods, could have a direct economic impact of up to $300 billion each year. The Potential Risks of Synbio While the potential economic and societal benefits of synthetic biology are vast, there are a number of risks to be aware of as well: Unintended biological consequences: Making tweaks to any biological system can have ripple effects across entire ecosystems or species. When any sort of lifeform is manipulated, things don't always go according to plan. Moral issues: How far we're comfortable going with synbio depends on our values. Certain synbio applications, such as embryo editing, are controversial. If these types of applications become mainstream, they could have massive societal implications, with the potential to increase polarization within communities. Unequal access: Innovation and progress in synbio is happening faster in wealthier countries than it is in developing ones. If this trend continues, access to these types of technology may not be equal worldwide. We've already witnessed this type of access gap during the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, where a majority of vaccines have been administered in rich countries. Bioweaponry: Synbio could be used to recreate viruses, or manipulate bacteria to make it more dangerous, if used with ill intent. According to a group of scientists at the University of Edinburgh, communication between the public, synthetic biologists, and political decision-makers is crucial so that these societal and environmental risks can be mitigated. Balancing Risk and Reward Despite the risks involved, innovation in synbio is happening at a rapid pace. By 2030, most people will have likely eaten, worn, or been treated by a product created by synthetic biology, according to synthetic biologist Christopher A. Voigt. Our choices today will dictate the future of synbio, and how we navigate through this space will have a massive impact on our future—for better, or for worse. The post Synthetic Biology: The $3.6 Trillion Science Changing Life as We Know It appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

Arms Transfers: U.S. and Russia’s Biggest Trading Partners Posted: 09 May 2022 07:39 AM PDT Arms Transfers: U.S. and Russia's Biggest Trading Partners The increase in conflicts worldwide, including in Ukraine and the Middle East, has shifted global focus back onto arms transfers between countries. For decades, countries proficient in arms manufacturing have supplied weapons to other countries in demand of them. At the helm of these trades are the U.S. and Russia, which have accounted for 57% of all international arms trades in the last 10 years. So who are the largest importers of arms from these two countries, and what is the military value of these trades? With the help of data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) arms transfer database, the above infographic by Ruben Berge Mathisen visualizes the top 50 biggest arms recipients by value for both the U.S. and Russia in the last decade. The Military Valuation of Arms Transfers The military valuation of arms is measured in terms of trend-indicator values (TIV). This valuation reflects the military capability of a particular item rather than its financial value. Every weapon that falls under the conventional definition of major arms is allotted a TIV. The following are the most common weapons and components to be assigned a TIV. Aircraft and armored vehicles Artillery (>100mm in caliber) Sensors and guided missiles, large air defense guns, torpedoes, and bombs 100mm caliber artillery-armed ships (>100-tonne displacement) Reconnaissance satellites and air refueling systems Instead of focusing on budget, examining TIV makes it easier to measure trends in the flow of arms between particular countries and regions over time, essentially creating a military capability price index. Biggest Recipients of U.S. Armaments The United States is the largest exporter of arms globally, responsible for 35% of global exports over the last 10 years to about 130 nations. Most recently, the biggest market for U.S. arms sales has been in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia being the most prominent recipient of weapons. Over the last decade, the country has purchased 24% of total U.S. arms exports, with components worth over 18 billion TIVs. Here is a look at the top 50 recipients of arms from the United States: U.S. Arms Transfer Recipient Continent TIV (Millions) Saudi Arabia Asia 18,641 Australia Oceania 8,668 South Korea Asia 7,207 UAE Asia 7,190 Japan Asia 5,026 India Asia 4,614 United Kingdom Europe 4,332 Qatar Asia 4,235 Taiwan Asia 3,789 Turkey Asia 3,722 Iraq Asia 3,532 Israel Asia 3,460 Singapore Asia 2,571 Afghanistan Asia 2,547 Egypt Africa 2,334 Italy Europe 2,281 Morocco Africa 2,281 Norway Europe 2,196 Netherlands Europe 2,060 Kuwait Asia 1,900 Canada Americas 1,806 Pakistan Asia 1,070 Indonesia Asia 982 Mexico Americas 782 Oman Asia 779 Jordan Asia 675 Denmark Europe 548 Brazil Americas 510 Sweden Europe 505 Colombia Americas 472 Philippines Asia 450 France Europe 438 Finland Europe 389 Greece Europe 359 Lebanon Asia 350 Thailand Asia 342 Poland Europe 336 Chile Americas 335 Spain Europe 292 Romania Europe 275 Tunisia Africa 251 Germany Europe 221 Bahrain Asia 187 Portugal Europe 179 Nigeria Africa 154 New Zealand Oceania 150 Bangladesh Asia 123 Switzerland Europe 117 Vietnam Asia 108 Argentina Americas 103 The U.S. remains the biggest global exporter of weapons globally, however, sales of military equipment to foreign countries dipped by 21% over the previous fiscal year, dropping from $175 billion in 2020 to $138 billion in 2021. Biggest Recipients of Russian Armaments Russia, the world’s second-largest arms dealer, was responsible for 22% of global arms exports between 2011 and 2021. In terms of TIVs, India remains the biggest importer of Russian weapons by a wide margin. India's dependency on Russian-made arms is driven by its fight to quell the military assertiveness of China on one side and its constant skirmishes along the Pakistani border on the other. But despite the continued support of Russia and its President by the Indian Prime Minister, even in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine, some reports have shown that India has been looking elsewhere for arms in the last few years. Let's take a look at some of the other biggest importers of Russian arms around the world: Russian Arms Transfer Recipient Continent TIV (Millions) India Asia 22,869 China Asia 9,419 Algeria Africa 7,235 Vietnam Asia 5,554 Egypt Africa 3,998 Iraq Asia 2,015 Azerbaijan Asia 1,967 Kazakhstan Asia 1,841 Venezuela Americas 1,743 Syria Asia 1,729 Belarus Europe 1,190 Myanmar Asia 856 Uganda Africa 611 UAE Asia 578 Angola Africa 501 Indonesia Asia 490 Iran Asia 476 Bangladesh Asia 454 Afghanistan Asia 441 Pakistan Asia 437 Armenia Asia 373 Turkey Asia 344 Turkmenistan Asia 307 Serbia Europe 296 Nigeria Africa 249 Sudan Africa 244 Peru Americas 221 Jordan Asia 204 Mongolia Asia 171 Uzbekistan Asia 156 Nicaragua Americas 121 Laos Asia 118 Kuwait Asia 113 Brazil Americas 98 South Sudan Africa 82 Mali Africa 73 Ethiopia Africa 69 Thailand Asia 68 South Africa Africa 50 Cameroon Africa 45 Kyrgyzstan Asia 41 Rwanda Africa 41 Qatar Asia 40 Libya Africa 36 Bahrain Asia 31 Tajikistan Asia 30 Cyprus Asia 28 Republic of the Congo Africa 27 Ghana Africa 27 Ukraine Rebels Europe 24 One relationship of significance is Russia's provided weapons to Pro-Russia Ukrainian Rebels. Since 2014, Russia has offered arms and training to these rebels in their fight. These have included weapons of all sorts, from pistols and mines to tanks and missile launchers. Effect of the War on Ukraine on Arms Trades According to the latest data from SIPRI, the international arms trade fell by 4.6% in the last five-year period. Despite this, Europe has become a new hotspot for arms imports, seeing a 19% increase in arms transfers over the same time period. Countries like the U.K., Netherlands, and Norway were the largest importers, and other countries might follow suit. Experts claim that this upsurge is attributed to the crumbling relationship between Russia and Europe. Alarmed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European countries have been reevaluating their defense budgets—as exemplified by Germany’s recent €100 billion commitment to boost its military strength. In the coming years, the U.S. and Russia’s biggest arms transfer partners are likely to shift. But which way will arms transfers trend? The post Arms Transfers: U.S. and Russia's Biggest Trading Partners appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

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