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Genetic Pioneer Trumpets Birth of First Artificial Life
AOL News
(May 20) -- The controversial American scientist who a decade ago developed a remarkable shortcut in mapping the human genome says he's now produced the first version of synthetic life.
"Synthia," as Dr. Craig Venter and his research team at the J. Craig Venter Institute have dubbed it, is actually a stripped-down bacterium that's been outfitted with a man-made genome. The creation cost around $30 million.
"This is the first synthetic cell that's been made, and we call it synthetic because the cell is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, made with four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesizer, starting with information in a computer," Venter said of his work, which is described in the journal Science this week. "This is the first self-replicating species that we have had on the planet whose parent is a computer."
Dr. J. Craig Venter has rocked the scientific world by claiming he has produced a cell that is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, a development that could pave the way for custom-made vaccines.
Venter's breakthrough could open up an entirely new realm of synthetic science, allowing researchers to create custom-made vaccines, eco-friendly biofuels and other beneficial microbes. In other words, make and shape cells to do human bidding.
Venter and company created a genome that's around 1 million base pairs long (by comparison, a human genome is around 3 billion base pairs long). The code they inserted into the DNA includes the researchers' names, along with poetry, quotes and an e-mail address -- so that anyone who decodes the genome can let the team know.
The process to create the cell was a lengthy one: Venter has been working on the initiative for more than three years. Some experts anticipate that in the future, cell creation will be streamlined and simplified.
"I hope the day comes when making genomes is something everyone can do," Pamela Silver, a systems biologist at Harvard Medical School, told Live Science.
Venter's team says it's already collaborating with major companies, including Big Pharma and oil and gas firms, on ambitious plans for the future of synthetic biology.
Still, there are kinks to work out. Right now, the synthetic bacterium is able to reproduce, but several of its genes don't yet work properly.
And others in the field aren't so sure that Venter is using the best approach.
"He has not created life, only mimicked it," Dr. David Baltimore, a Caltech geneticist, told The New York Times.
While the genome was artificial, the bacterium wasn't -- making it a ready host to turn on the genome, grow and reproduce like a natural cell. Although the genome's synthetic nature is new, transferring a genome into a host cell has been possible for more than 20 years.
And regular genetic engineering is already making rapid strides in biofuel and vaccine production, among other pursuits. Venter's approach, while remarkable, will take years to catch up.
http://www.aolnews.com/science/arti...mpets-birth-of-first-artificial-life/19485482
AOL News
(May 20) -- The controversial American scientist who a decade ago developed a remarkable shortcut in mapping the human genome says he's now produced the first version of synthetic life.
"Synthia," as Dr. Craig Venter and his research team at the J. Craig Venter Institute have dubbed it, is actually a stripped-down bacterium that's been outfitted with a man-made genome. The creation cost around $30 million.
"This is the first synthetic cell that's been made, and we call it synthetic because the cell is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, made with four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesizer, starting with information in a computer," Venter said of his work, which is described in the journal Science this week. "This is the first self-replicating species that we have had on the planet whose parent is a computer."
Dr. J. Craig Venter has rocked the scientific world by claiming he has produced a cell that is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, a development that could pave the way for custom-made vaccines.
Venter's breakthrough could open up an entirely new realm of synthetic science, allowing researchers to create custom-made vaccines, eco-friendly biofuels and other beneficial microbes. In other words, make and shape cells to do human bidding.
Venter and company created a genome that's around 1 million base pairs long (by comparison, a human genome is around 3 billion base pairs long). The code they inserted into the DNA includes the researchers' names, along with poetry, quotes and an e-mail address -- so that anyone who decodes the genome can let the team know.
The process to create the cell was a lengthy one: Venter has been working on the initiative for more than three years. Some experts anticipate that in the future, cell creation will be streamlined and simplified.
"I hope the day comes when making genomes is something everyone can do," Pamela Silver, a systems biologist at Harvard Medical School, told Live Science.
Venter's team says it's already collaborating with major companies, including Big Pharma and oil and gas firms, on ambitious plans for the future of synthetic biology.
Still, there are kinks to work out. Right now, the synthetic bacterium is able to reproduce, but several of its genes don't yet work properly.
And others in the field aren't so sure that Venter is using the best approach.
"He has not created life, only mimicked it," Dr. David Baltimore, a Caltech geneticist, told The New York Times.
While the genome was artificial, the bacterium wasn't -- making it a ready host to turn on the genome, grow and reproduce like a natural cell. Although the genome's synthetic nature is new, transferring a genome into a host cell has been possible for more than 20 years.
And regular genetic engineering is already making rapid strides in biofuel and vaccine production, among other pursuits. Venter's approach, while remarkable, will take years to catch up.
http://www.aolnews.com/science/arti...mpets-birth-of-first-artificial-life/19485482
