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futuristic realm. Though we still do not know why we age, we have ironically discovered technologies that may allow man to live forever. Consider the following facts: On May 8, 2013, George Laskowsky, chief technical officer of Thinker Thing, a Chilean tech startup, created the first ever real object with his mind. With an electroencephalography (EEG) headset on, Laskowsky was given shapes to choose from and, based on his levels of boredom or excitement picked up by the headset, the arm of a mythical creature was designed and then built by a 3-D printer. Now, recall the human brain-to-brain interface between Rao and Stocco, during which a brain wave was sent across the Internet. Who's to say that we will not be able one day to record all of the decisions a person would make in varying situations, download them onto a hard drive, and then upload the data to a robot? Consequently, human-machine interfaces will be the next big area of biotech research and application. Already, we have the technology to control wheelchairs and cars with our minds. In 2009, Toyota and research lab RIKEN developed a wheelchair that can be controlled with brainwaves through an EEG cap. This idea was brought one step further with thought-controlled cars. Finally, bionic limbs are growing more and more advanced. By splicing a prosthetic to the wearer's residual nerves in the partial limb, scientists have been able to create a sense of "touch." 3-D printing also will contribute greatly to the area of prosthetics. Researchers at Princeton already have built a bionic ear by feeding a 3-D printer with biological and nanoelectronic inks. What is even more incredible is that the bionic ear can detect frequencies a million times higher than a normal ear can. In 25 years, 3-D printing will have solved the geometric complexities tissue engineers face today. Researchers will be able to create organs with blood 14 Industrial Management vessels, such as livers, kidneys and hearts. Despite Europe and China's current opposition, GM crops will continue to be grown, consumed as food and used in industry. China's citizens likely will come around as they learn more about GM crops and realize the large presence of GM foods in U.S. diets. In 2010, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that global agricultural output must increase 70 percent by 2050 to feed the world's anticipated population of 9 billion. GM crops are one solution to the impending food problem. The fact that more than 90 percent of GM crop farmers are small resourcepoor farmers in developing countries indicates a growing dependence on GM seeds. Many farmers rely on the drought-resistant, pest-resistant attributes of GM crops to feed their families and their country. Because of this growing dependence, governments likely will create regulations to prevent crop misuse and the corporate exploitation of farmers. To increase the use of GM crops, companies must prove to consumers that their products are safe to eat and are not environmentally hazardous. The GM crop industry may turn to golden rice, which helps the body produce vitamin A, to prove the benefits of biotech. While most genetically engineered crops are designed to benefit farmers, golden rice was designed to benefit consumers, preventing blindness and death. (For more details, see the sidebar on Page 13.) The scientists who created golden rice, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, licensed their patent rights to Syngenta under the condition that the technology would be given to poor farmers in the developing world for free. In 25 years, biofortified foods – foods nutritionally enhanced through genetic modification – will exist in diets throughout the world, decreasing nutrition-related diseases. We also will have foods that act as vaccines for diseases like hepatitis B and cholera; in Humanmachine interfaces will be the next big area of biotech research and application. fact, such a banana already exists. One of the main concerns about GM crops is their impact on biodiversity, and while some plants will go extinct as a result, new species also will develop. With the tasting of the first piece of lab-grown meat in August 2013, the market of scientifically produced meats has opened up to consideration. We will see genetically engineered animal products in supermarkets in the decades to come. Thus far, no substantial scientific or legal arguments have been made against the genetically modified salmon seeking FDA approval. Finally, industrial and environmental biotech companies will continue to snowball and grow. In 25 years, our manufacturing processes will be cleaner and cheaper than they are today. With 3-D printers and nanocapabilities that let us build things from individual atoms and molecules, we will be able to build essentially anything we can imagine. Consultants at Smithers Rapra, a global leader in rubber, plastics, polymer and composites testing and consulting services, predict that the global industrial biotechnology market will grow at around 20 percent a year between now and 2020. Since the use of synthetic biology in industrial processes will result in a smaller carbon footprint, less industrial waste and higher yields, urban areas in developing countries likely will invest heavily in this technology. Rapid industrialization has led to water and air pollution, and rapidly growing urban populations place a strain on infrastructure. The countries that succeed in developing robotics and clean manufacturing will be the world's future manufacturers. Perfect cluster conditions Genomic medicine is projected to generate $350 billion worth of economic activity and millions of jobs. The advancements made in bioIT, 3-D printing, nanotechnology and robotics can be applied to biotechnology,