First Ever Synthetic Cell. Fascinating.

[Spock]

This is a most fascinating scientific breakthrough, it has the potential for great good. I was thinking on the lines of chemical resistant, viral and bacterial immunity when I first heard the news. In the wrong hands though it could have the potential for great evil.

A team of US scientists have created the first synthetic living cell - a landmark success hailed as a milestone on the way to create "artificial life".

The team led by Dr. Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California created a single cell organism - a bacterium - with synthetic DNA. DNA is the genetic footprint of any living organism. In this case, the DNA had been sequenced and recorded from an existing bacterium, and a synthetic copy constructed using so-called "synthesis machines".

The synthetic DNA copy was then transplanted into another bacterium, which in turn looked and behaved just like the organism dictated by the DNA footprint. Only the genome of the new bacterium was truly synthetic. The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies which contained and were controlled by the synthetic DNA.

Whilst this synthetic life was generated using a copy of the DNA footprint of an existing living organism, the researchers hope that eventually they will be able to design DNA sequences to create truly artificial life. Initially this technique could be used to produce medicines and fuels.

However, there are voices of criticism about this scientific breakthrough. Other scientists are warning of the risks of synthetic bacteria being released into the environment as their behaviour may be unpredictable. There are also ethical concerns and warnings of "unparalleled risks" of military or terrorist misuse.

First artificial life created by scientists - One News Page | Science