The world may be shifting toward a bioeconomy with current drivers viewed as three foundational technologies: genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, and automated high-throughput manipulations of biomolecules – see:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/national_bioeconomy_blueprint_april_2012.pdf .
Do you think there are other emerging technologies of similar importance or will advances come largely from these foundational technologies that grew out of government funded efforts?
Definitely DNA and enzyme-based computers. Both for information storage and the construction of nanomachines. There has already been several successful attempts to build nanomachines with logic gates to release drugs in patient's body, at the right location, for example.
I do agree with Rohan, Network learning systems and breakthrough innovation to understand data would be next big thing.
I think, algal biofuel and microbial fuel cells would be next in line.
I disagree to the high potential of neural networks mentioned by Rohan and Manoj. NN have always been credited with amazing abilities, and have sparked some interesting research, but they have been around for decades and up to now have not solved the data-clog as they were expected to.
Generally, I would agree to the problem statement though: A method for automatically analyzing data is of vital improtance, and innovative systems describing the data already present accomodating that method.
I would think about three topics:
1- we are witnessing scientific revolution in the field of host-microbiome interaction . For example hologenome theory. It would need one decade probably to transform it into actual biotechnology.
2- merging humans with computers and other machines physically (google glass is just a start)
3- I also agree with Rohan.
It does not have to be specifically NN . However, different data mining, causal inference approaches and novel bio-mathematcis (not just differential equations and prey predator models) will make a huge change in our life.
I think Synthetic biology based Biofuel technology, Stem cell biology, Nanobiotechnology, Nanomedicine and DNA computing machines are the future technologies. For the future prospective energy is going to be most important area to replace current fossil fuel for clean and green energy.
Thinking about the answers, synthetic biology applied to host-microbe interactions, information storage and transfer may pay off in many ways.
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