A key factor working to minimize the downside of the coming decade is the set of needs and expectations associated with the Baby Boomers. Rather than ceding control of their lives to bureaucracies and external factors, Boomers will insist upon staying in control. This, in turn, will lead people to both produce and consume much more than people at the same age did in previous generations. What is the latest research suggesting? We'll show you.

Synthetic biology is the technology that allows scientists to create "artificial life forms" tailored to perform otherwise impossible feats. For our purposes, it includes even the rewriting and insertion of one new, functioning gene. As explained in our July 2010 issue, this emerging field is on the verge of triggering an economic and technological revolution that will transform nearly every aspect of our lives. Just as the fundamental technologies of photolithography and solid-state physics were indispensible to information technology, sequencing and synthesis technologies for DNA, RNA, and proteins will be indispensible for synthetic biology. Where do these technologies stand? What’s ahead? How can you profit? We'll fill you in.