Bioconvergence is a multidisciplinary industry that leverages the synergy between

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

and

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

technologies to address challenges in life sciences and related fields. It is applied in diagnostic processes,

material development A material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geolog ...

, and pharmaceutical research. Beyond healthcare, bioconvergence has applications in sectors such as

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, energy, food, security, and climate.

Implications

Bioconvergence combines methods from various disciplines, including

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

, computational sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI), to develop solutions for complex problems.

Healthcare

Bioconvergence in healthcare encompasses a range of technologies and applications, including: * Translational medicine: Analyzing large biomedical datasets to inform clinical practice. * Neuromorphic computing: Modeling neural structures to enhance computational efficiency and reduce energy consumption. * Digital twins: Creating virtual replicas for clinical trial simulations. * Biochips: Such as "organ-on-a-chip" systems that mimic organ functions for drug testing and disease modeling. * Nanorobotics: For targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive procedures. * Regenerative medicine: Utilizing 3D bioprinting to create tissues and organs for transplantation. * Diagnostics and biological sensors: Developing advanced sensors for real-time health monitoring and point-of-care diagnostics. * Optogenetics: Combining genetic engineering and optics to control cellular activities with light. * Bioelectronics: Integrating electronics with biological systems for therapeutic applications, such as neural interfaces and bioelectronic medicines. * Engineered living materials: Creating materials with biological properties for applications in medicine and beyond. Additionally, bioconvergence enables personalized medicine by allowing for tailored treatment strategies based on individual genetic profiles and real-time health data.

Belén Garijo Belén Garijo (born 1960) is a Spanish business executive. Since May 2021, she has been the CEO and chair of the executive board of Merck Group. Career Garijo was a physician at Hospital Universitario La Paz. In 2003, Garijo became managing di ...

, CEO of Merck, has highlighted the role of bioconvergence in advancing personalized medicine, stating that it will help power the next wave of human progress by transforming patient care with more precise, personalized, and predictive healthcare therapies.

Food and agriculture

Bioconvergence supports food production in controlled environments, such as laboratories and indoor vertical farms, reducing reliance on traditional agricultural resources like land, water, and specific climates. Applications include: * Molecular breeding: Using molecular or genetic markers to accelerate and refine the breeding of plants and animals compared to traditional selective breeding. * Genetic engineering: Developing precise tools for modifying plant genomes to enhance traits such as drought resistance or yield. * Microbiome engineering: Manipulating the microbiomes of plants, soil, animals, or water to improve agricultural productivity and product quality. * Alternative proteins: Producing cultured meat, alternative eggs, and alternative milk through cellular agriculture techniques. These technologies aim to enhance food security and sustainability by optimizing resource use and increasing production efficiency.

Energy, climate, and advanced materials

Bioconvergence contributes to the natural resource sector by enabling alternative methods for producing raw materials and fuels. Applications include: * Bio-based manufacturing: Using biological processes to produce materials and fuels, such as biofuels derived from engineered microorganisms. * Sustainable materials: Developing biodegradable or bio-inspired materials to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources. * Environmental management: Applying bioconvergence techniques to address climate challenges, such as carbon capture using engineered biological systems. These approaches aim to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable resource use.

History

The term "bioconvergence" was used in 2005 to describe the integration of bio- and information-technologies into the

healthcare industry The healthcare industry (also called the medical industry or health economy) is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, ...

. Since 2020, various initiatives and investments related to bioconvergence have emerged globally. In April 2020, the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...

and the

Israel Innovation Authority The Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) is the support and investment arm of the Israeli Government, Israeli government, in charge of planning and executing the country’s innovation policy, promoting technological innovation and Science and techn ...

concluded a cooperation agreement to jointly pursue investments in the globally emerging domain of bioconvergence. In March 2021, the US

National Intelligence Council The National Intelligence Council (NIC), established in 1979 and reporting to the Director of National Intelligence, bridges the United States Intelligence Community (IC) with policy makers in the United States. The NIC produces the "Global Trend ...

(NIC) published a research paper on the "Future of Biology", concluding that "''During the next 20 years, a more multidisciplinary and data-intensive approach to life sciences will shift our understanding of and ability to manipulate living matter. These disciplines, combined with

cognitive science Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary, scientific study of the mind and its processes. It examines the nature, the tasks, and the functions of cognition (in a broad sense). Mental faculties of concern to cognitive scientists include percep ...

nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

, and others, are contributing to advances in biological understanding. It is anticipated that the collective application of these diverse technologies to the life sciences—known as bioconvergence— will accelerate discovery and predictability in biotech design and production.''" In September 2021, CELLINK Life Sciences, a Swedish publicly traded company that commercialized the first bio-based ink in 2016, changed its group name to BICO Group, short for "bioconvergence." It is building a portfolio that blends biology, engineering, and computer science technologies and considering acquisition opportunities in bioconvergence technology companies. In May 2022, Israel launched a 5-year national plan worth () to boost research and development in bioconvergence. Also in May 2022,

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) (, ''Universitat Ben-Guriyon baNegev'') is a public university, public research university in Beersheba, Israel. Named after Israeli List of national founders, national founder David Ben-Gurion, the unive ...

(BGU) and

Soroka Medical Center Soroka University Medical Center (, ''HaMerkaz HaRefu'i Soroka''), a part of the Clalit Health Services Group, is the general hospital of Beersheba, Israel, it serves as the central hospital of the region and provides medical services to approx ...

announced a strategic collaboration for the development of novel technologies in the field of bioconvergence. In October 2022, Japan announced that it will establish a global center of bioconvergence innovation in the

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology is a private, interdisciplinary graduate school located in Onna, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Overviews The school offers a 5-year PhD program in science. Over half of the faculty and students are recruited from outside Japan, and all educat ...

. It will be supported by a grant from the

Japan Science and Technology Agency The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST; Japanese: 科学技術振興機構) is a Japanese government agency which aims to build infrastructure that supports knowledge creation and dissemination in Japan. It is one of the National Research an ...

program on Open Innovation Platform for Academia-Industry Co-Creation. According to a

McKinsey McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinsey ...

report on public policy and "Biological innovations for complex problems", the

is "''investing in bioconvergence technologies to ensure that professionals in biology, computer science, mathematics, engineering, and nanoscience work seamlessly together''". The

views bioconvergence as potentially "one of the next significant growth engines of Israeli high-tech".

Market

According to research company named Grand View Research, the global bioconvergence market was valued at USD 110.9 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to expand at a

compound annual growth rate Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a business, economics and investing term representing the mean annualized growth rate for compounding values over a given time period. CAGR smoothes the effect of volatility of periodic values that can render ...

(CAGR) of 7.4% from 2022 to 2030. This growth is attributed to factors including the increasing elderly population and advances in

stem cell In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can change into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell ...

technology aimed at repairing damaged cells, tissues, and organs. Research by

McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinse ...

indicates that the majority of bioconvergence's potential uses fall outside the healthcare sector, in areas like

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

consumer products A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike an intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good. Whe ...

, novel materials,

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

, and energy. McKinsey estimates that bioconvergence solutions currently under development could generate an economic impact of up to annually within the next 10 to 20 years.