Bioconvergence is a multidisciplinary method in life science. It uses the synergy between

biotech Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...

, engineering and computerized systems to address unresolved challenges, like speeding up diagnostic processes, creating more advanced materials, or advancing drug development. Along with

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

, bioconvergence assists in the improvement of various sectors such as agriculture, energy,

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons and social ...

, climate, etc. McKinsey research predicts that more than half of the impact of bioconvergence will be outside of healthcare, in areas such as agriculture,

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. lot ...

and

, consumer products and services (such as DNA and microbiome testing), novel materials, chemistry and energy. According to McKinsey, bioconvergence solutions currently being developed could have an economic impact of up to per year over the next 10 to 20 years.

Implications

Bioconvergence uses methods from disciplines such as biology,

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, physics, engineering, medicine,

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, agriculture, computational sciences and artificial intelligence (AI), in order to solve challenges across several sectors.

Healthcare

Bioconvergence technologies in healthcare include

translational medicine Translational medicine (often called translational science, of which it is a form) is defined by the European Society for Translational Medicine as "an interdisciplinary branch of the biomedical field supported by three main pillars: benchside, beds ...

, enabling the extraction of hidden insights from massive data sets;

neuromorphic computing Neuromorphic engineering, also known as neuromorphic computing, is the use of electronic circuits to mimic neuro-biological architectures present in the nervous system. A neuromorphic computer/chip is any device that uses physical artificial ne ...

, who seeks to emulate the biological neural structure of the brain to achieve unparalleled levels of processing performance and energy efficiency; creation of digital twins for

clinical trials Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...

; and

biochip In molecular biology, biochips are engineered substrates ("miniaturized laboratories") that can host large numbers of simultaneous biochemical reactions. One of the goals of biochip technology is to efficiently screen large numbers of biological a ...

s such as organ on a chip" (OOC). Other implications of bioconvergence include new methods ot using nanorobotics for drug delivery, regenerative medicine,

diagnostics Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect". In systems engineer ...

and biological sensors, optogenetics, bioelectronics, engineered "living" materials, and more. According to Belén Garijo, CEO of

Merck Merck refers primarily to the German Merck family and three companies founded by the family, including: * the Merck Group, a German chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences company founded in 1668 ** Merck Serono (known as EMD Serono in the Unite ...

, bioconvergence can also bring about the potential of personalized medicine".

Food and agriculture

Traditional agriculture relies on land, water, and a suitable climate. In the future, based on bioconvergence led research and technologies, foods could be manufactured anywhere in labs and indoor

vertical farms Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and ae ...

. This could fundamentally reshape the agricultural sector, international trade, and migration, as well as people’s relationships with land, animals, and food. Applications also include innovative new ways to conduct breeding of animals and plants using molecular or genetic markers that are many times quicker than established selective-breeding methods; new, more precise tools for the

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

of plants; fast-developing work using the microbiome of plants, soil, animals, and water to improve the quality and productivity of agricultural production; and the development of alternative proteins, including cultured meat, alternative eggs, and alternative milk.

Energy, climate and advanced materials

Bioconvergence could transform the natural resource sector through new ways of making and obtaining raw materials and fuels, as well as new manufacturing techniques. This could potentially ease pressure on natural resources.

History

The term "bioconvergence" was used in 2005 to describe the integration of bio and information-technologies into the healthcare industry. Since 2020, it has gained wider recognition. In April 2020, The

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...

and the Israel Innovation Authority concluded a cooperation agreement to jointly pursue investments in the globally emerging domain of bioconvergence. In March 2021, the US National Intelligence Council (NIC), which bridges the United States Intelligence Community with policy makers in the US, 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,

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

, physics, and others, are propelling new leaps in our 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 (BGU) and Soroka Medical Center 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. It will be supported by a grant from the Japan Science and Technology Agency JST Program on Open Innovation Platform for Academia-Industry Co-Creation. According to a McKinsey report on public policy and "Biological innovations for complex problems", The Israel Innovation Authority, responsible for Israel's innovation policy and financial support for

Research and Development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

technology driven companies, is "''investing in bioconvergence technologies to ensure that professionals in biology, computer science, mathematics, engineering, and nanoscience work seamlessly together''". The Israel Innovation Authority views bioconvergence as potentially "one of the next significant growth engines of Israeli high-tech".

Market

According to research company 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 (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2022 to 2030. The significant market growth can be attributed to the increasing elderly population and the accelerating

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

technology for the fixing of injured cells, tissues, and organs. A McKinsey report in 2020 suggests that a pipeline of over 400 scientifically feasible use cases are already visible, and that these applications alone could have direct economic impact of up to per year over the next 10 to 20 years.