Every year, the world of synthetic biology pushes the envelope, redefining what’s possible at the intersection of biology and technology. TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 showcases a slew of innovations, but the real stars of the show? A cluster of trailblazing companies harnessing synthetic biology to reshape industries from textiles to agriculture. Let’s dive into what’s hot and why it matters, with a nod to the disruptive spirit of innovation itself.

The Coolest Synthetic Light Show

‍Kicking things off is Light Bio’s Firefly Petunia, a dazzling innovation that marries nature’s glow with biotech’s ingenuity. This bio-luminescent flower lights up gardens in a way that would make any nature enthusiast pause, showcasing how synthetic biology can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. It’s not just a neat trick—it’s a breakthrough so impressive that it earned the cover spot on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 issue, a testament to the potential of harnessing biology for pure wonder.

Fashion with a Purpose

‍Ambercycle’s Cycora is flipping the narrative on textile waste. Using advanced recycling technologies, they’re turning discarded polyester into shiny new fabrics, creating a circular fashion ecosystem that moves sustainability from buzzword to reality. Similarly, Galy’s Literally Cotton is rethinking the cotton plant altogether, producing lab-grown fibers that are indistinguishable from traditional cotton but with a fraction of the environmental footprint.

Agricultural Insight and Enhancement

‍In the fields, BeeHero’s Pollination Insight Platform leverages data-driven intelligence to monitor pollination activity, a quiet hero supporting global food production. Meanwhile, InnerPlant’s CropVoice is engineering crops to act as sentinels, emitting early warning signals about their health to farmers. It’s not just smart farming—it’s responsive agriculture that reacts faster than your garden-variety scarecrow ever could.

The Era of Smart Nutrients and Eco-Friendly Tech

‍Brightseed’s Forager platform takes the wild world of plant bioactives and unlocks their potential for better nutrition and health. This is where tech meets the timeless wisdom of nature, blending ancient plants with cutting-edge algorithms. Pivot Bio’s N-Ovator offers another kind of innovation: microbial solutions that provide crops with sustainable nitrogen, reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers.

Reimagining Animal Agriculture and Biotech Ambitions

‍Meatable’s Opti-Ox technology promises lab-grown meat with ethical and environmental benefits, aiming to put a dent in the carbon footprint of conventional farming. And when it comes to ambitious biotech, look no further than Prolific Machines’ Photomolecular Platform, redefining cellular manufacturing to potentially make custom-grown biological products the norm.

Medical Marvels and Genetic Frontiers

‍Some of the most exciting advances are in health tech. Medtronic’s Inceptiv Spinal Cord Stimulator offers renewed hope for chronic pain sufferers, employing cutting-edge electrical stimulation for more effective treatment. On the genetic therapy front, Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys has stepped up as a frontrunner in muscular dystrophy treatment, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics’ Casgevy introduced a pioneering gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease, inching us closer to a world where genetic conditions are not a life sentence.

Environmental Allies in Disguise

‍The team at WindFall Bio deserves applause for their Methane-Eating Microbes, a literal breath of fresh air aimed at reducing methane emissions. And TomTex’s Series M and Series WS aren’t just stylish—they’re biotextiles developed to outperform traditional leathers without the associated environmental toll.

The Future of Flavor and Fermentation

‍Shiru’s Proteindiscovery.ai platform harnesses the power of data to identify and develop novel proteins, pushing the limits of sustainable food production. Meanwhile, The Rootist’s Rootbiomic Ferment taps into the secret life of soil microbiomes to optimize plant health in ways that would make your high-school biology teacher swoon.

This year’s most groundbreaking innovations prove that synthetic biology is not just thriving; it’s driving change across industries at a pace that’s almost dizzying. As 2024 unfolds, one thing is certain: the biotech revolution is not just on its way. It’s already here, and it’s reshaping our world with each engineered cell and data-optimized molecule.