In its broadest sense, biointelligence describes the convergence of biological, technical, and information systems for the creation of value. Implicitly, it refers to the precautionary management of natural resources, while minimizing harm to the environment and people whenever possible. Although sustainability considerations are more commonly addressed in current manufacturing industries, biointelligent products present new challenges in this regard. These challenges partly concern the assessment of biological components, which are still considered novel within life cycle management. Here, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) serves as a valuable tool for addressing some of these challenges. This study presents the environmental impact assessment of such a biointelligent product, a biosensor used in the production of virus-based therapeutics. Using the LCA methodology, it estimates the environmental impacts of biosensor manufacture and use, addressing current research gaps related to the sustainable design of biointelligent products. Results show that the main contributing factors to environmental impacts are fluoropolymers and electronics for control units during the manufacturing phase, and electricity and collagen during the use phase. Furthermore, it was found that the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is achieved when sourcing electricity from renewable sources compared to other design changes. These results are used to derive recommendations to improve the environmental profile of the biosensor. Considerations regarding material choices and product design are then discussed, highlighting the challenges associated with developing and utilizing biointelligent products. These findings ultimately support the transition to more sustainable production systems. Download: Download Acrobat PDF file (195KB)
Gamero et al. (Thu,) studied this question.