Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms

Post by **The Helper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:12 am

I am sorry but I could not help it. I had to get you guys opinion

Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms

It has been 50 years since scientists first created DNA in a test tube, stitching ordinary chemical ingredients together to make life's most extraordinary molecule. Until recently, however, even the most sophisticated laboratories could make only small snippets of DNA -- an extra gene or two to be inserted into corn plants, for example, to help the plants ward off insects or tolerate drought.

Now researchers are poised to cross a dramatic barrier: the creation of life forms driven by completely artificial DNA.

Scientists in Maryland have already built the world's first entirely handcrafted chromosome -- a large looping strand of DNA made from scratch in a laboratory, containing all the instructions a microbe needs to live and reproduce.

In the coming year, they hope to transplant it into a cell, where it is expected to "boot itself up," like software downloaded from the Internet, and cajole the waiting cell to do its bidding. And while the first synthetic chromosome is a plagiarized version of a natural one, others that code for life forms that have never existed before are already under construction.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00_pf.html

Aby · Post by **Aby** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:15 am

Planet of the Apes

CrimsonNuker · Post by **CrimsonNuker** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:16 am

I smell super soldiers. Whatever they make, we will pay for it.

the_wicked · Post by **the_wicked** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:21 am

why is it that they always go and **** with DNA?

god make some better air fresheners or something >_>

XemnasXD · Post by **XemnasXD** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:39 am

CrimsonNuker wrote:I smell super soldiers. Whatever they make, we will pay for it.

it doesn't have to go in that direction but it probably will...so much good could come out of it but mankind like to focus on the negatives..

Amelie · Post by **Amelie** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:46 am

shoto · Post by **shoto** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:52 am

mmm

very far away from super soldiers or super-anything really. It's sort of interesting how all different science disciplines are converging into engineering with technological advancement.

Colb · Post by **Colb** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:56 am

I AM LEGEND TO COME TROO??

OH NOEZ

MrJoey · Post by **MrJoey** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:50 am

Amelie wrote:

I see your picture.

and raise it with my own.

/Pi · Post by **/Pi** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:53 am

Every now and then, there's always an article that talks about abiogenesis. I remember reading one a year ago.

Well, I'm just hoping we'll have the technology one day.

Silver0 · Post by **Silver0** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:55 am

Why Not?