From fighter jets to lumbering aircraft carriers, the armed forces produce substantial emissions: the estimated 59 million metric tonnes of CO2 the US Department of Defense emits each year is more than the annual emissions of many European countries. In the UK, the Ministry of Defence is responsible for around …

Synthetic biology technology aims to redesign natural biological systems for greater efficiency, as well as create new organisms as well as molecules with desired bio-attributes. These bioengineered microorganisms (and possibly other life forms) can produce pharmaceuticals, detect toxic chemicals, break down pollutants, repair defective genes, destroy cancer cells, and generate …