Posted on 05/20/2010 10:39:53 AM PDT by mgstarr
Scientists have turned inanimate chemicals into a living organism in an experiment that raises profound questions about the essence of life.
Craig Venter, the US genomics pioneer, announced on Thursday that scientists at his laboratories in Maryland and California had succeeded in their 15-year project to make the world’s first “synthetic cells” – bacteria called Mycoplasma mycoides.
“We have passed through a critical psychological barrier,” Dr Venter told the FT. “It has changed my own thinking, both scientifically and philosophically, about life and how it works.”
The bacteria’s genes were all constructed in the laboratory “from four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesizer, starting with information on a computer,” he said.
The research – published online by the journal Science – was hailed as a landmark by many independent scientists and philosophers.
“Venter is creaking open the most profound door in humanity’s history, potentially peeking into its destiny,” said Julian Savulescu, ethics professor at Oxford University. “This is a step towards ... creation of living beings with capacities and natures that could never have naturally evolved.”
The synthetic bacteria have 14 “watermark sequences” attached to their genome – inert stretches of DNA added to distinguish them from their natural counterparts. They behaved and divided in lab dishes like natural bacteria.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
That was my thought when read the article. I was thinking how so many people have said that Intelligent Design is not real science, yet an intelligent agent just purposefully designed and created life. That is the basic position of ID, as I understand it.
interesting
The synthetic bacteria have 14 “watermark sequences” attached to their genome – inert stretches of DNA added to distinguish them from their natural counterparts. They behaved and divided in lab dishes like natural bacteria.Can you say; 'Andromeda Strain' kiddied?
There. I knew you could.
We be messin around with the wrong stuff here. 'Someone' will not be pleased.
And when He gets mad, it ain't all Cakes and Ale.
.....Did they create it, or did they fabricate it?....
How about “synthesize”
The bacteria were synthesized from four bottles
Man will never create life. Only One Being can do that or ever will be able to do it.
Man will never develop cures by killing man in the womb to do it.
If anyone claims to have done either thing, he is a liar, and it’s a hoax.
That's because it's primarily an ideological position, as opposed to a scientific one.
Things like this don't prove that life originated as a result of ID, of course. But what it does do -- again -- is demonstrate the validity of ID as a hypothesis.
It also highlights the difficulties of the claim that ID "can't be detected." It shows a glaring blind spot for "science" in cases where ID is responsible for the phenomenon under investigation. One would think that such things would mute the arrogance of the "it's not science" crowd.... but since it's an ideological position, I guess there's no requirement for consistency.
Agreed, I am shocked by the number of freepers that believe this story, that actually believed man could take mere chemicals and create life. How many more will fall for “the lie” in the book of revelation when they see “miracles before their eyes”
I'm shocked that so many FReepers are myopically focused on the religious issue of creating life, and not marveling at the possibilities this may lead to. If we can synthesize DNA, inject it into a host cell, which will then obey the commands of the synthetic DNA, then this is one helluva breakthrough. This could change medicine and agriculture as we know it. This could be as important as the discovery of electricity or fire.
Get your own DNA code http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/molkit/rtranslate/index.html
You should have this name: TCTAATAAAGAAAATTGTATTGTT
Try this as well http://www.biophp.org/minitools/dna_to_protein/demo.php
It’s nothing
A bacteria culture.
:’) I’ve never been a fan of octal.
That illustration seems a little cilia.
:-))
Within the synthesized genome, Venter and colleagues left a watermark to clearly identify their work — four added DNA sequences whose string of bases spell out messages. The first watermark includes a code with which to decipher the others, including the names of the contributing scientists, three famous quotes, and an email address. “If people can decipher the code, they can send an email to us,” said Venter. http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57443/
OK here are the four watermarks (taken from http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;science.1190719/DC1 ):
I have made a gap to make the code visible (i.e. marked the 6-frame stop sequence and the Asc I restriction sequence)
Watermark-1, 1246 base pairs
TTAACTAGCTAA
GTTCGAATATTTCTATAGCTGTACATATTGTAATGCTGATAACTAATACTGTGCGCTTGACTGTGATCCTGATAAATAACTTCTTCTGTAGGGTAGAGTTTTA
TTTAAGGCTACTCACTGGTTGCAAACCAATGCCGTACATTACTAGCTTGATCCTTGGTCGGTCATTGGGGGATATCTCTTACTAATAGAGCGGCCTATCGCGTATTCTCGCCG
GACCCCCCTCTCCCACACCAGCGGTGTAGCATCACCAAGAAAATGAGGGGAACGGATGAGGAACGAGTGGGGGCTCATTGCTGATCATAATGACTGTTTATATACTAATGC
CGTCAACTGTTTGCTGTGATACTGTGCTTTCGAGGGCGGGAGATTCGTTTTTGACATACATAAATATCATGACAAAACAGCCGGTCATGACAAAACAGCCGGTCATAATAGAT
TAGCCGGTGACTGTGAAACTAAAGCTACTAATGCCGTCAATAAATATGATAATAGCAACGGCACTGACTGTGAAACTAAAGCCGGCACTCATAATAGATTAGCCGGAGTCGT
ATTCATAGCCGGTAGATATCACTATAAGGCCCAGGATCATGATGAACACAGCACCACGTCGTCGTCCGAGTTTTTTTGCTGCGACGTCTATACCACGGAAGCTGATCATAAAT
AGTTTTTTTGCTGCGGCACTAGAGCCGGACAAGCACACTACGTTTGTAAATACATCGTTCCGAATTGTAAATAATTTAATTTCGTATTTAAATTATATGATCACTGGCTATAGTC
TAGTGATAACTACAATAGCTAGCAATAAGTCATATATAACAATAGCTGAACCTGTGCTACATATCCGCTATACGGTAGATATCACTATAAGGCCCAGGACAATAGCTGAACTGA
CGTCAGCAACTACGTTTAGCTTGACTGTGGTCGGTTTTTTTGCTGCGACGTCTATACGGAAGCTCATAACTATAAGAGCGGCACTAGAGCCGGCACACAAGCCGGCACAGT
CGTATTCATAGCCGGCACTCATGACAAAACAGC
GGCGCGCCTTAACTAGCTAA
Watermark-2 1081 base pairs
TTAACTAGCTAA
CAACTGGCAGCATAAAACATATAGAACTACCTGCTATAAGTGATACAACTGTTTTCATAGTAAAACATACAACGTTGCTGATAGTACTCCTAAGTGATAGCTT
AGTGCGTTTAGCATATATTGTAGGCTTCATAATAAGTGATATTTTAGCTACGTAACTAAATAAACTAGCTATGACTGTACTCCTAAGTGATATTTTCATCCTTTGCAATACAATAA
CTACTACATCAATAGTGCGTGATATGCCTGTGCTAGATATAGAACACATAACTACGTTTGCTGTTTTCAGTGATATGCTAGTTTCATCTATAGATATAGGCTGCTTAGATTCCCT
ACTAGCTATTTCTGTAGGTGATATACGTCCATTGCATAAGTTAATGCATTTAACTAGCTGTGATACTATAGCATCCCCATTCCTAGTGCATATTTTCATCCTAGTGCTACGTGAT
ATAATTGTACTAATGCCTGTAGATAATTTAATGCCTGGCTCGTTTGTAGGTGATAATTTAGTGCCTGTAAAACATATACCTGAGTGCTCGTTGCGTGATAGTTCGTTCATGCAT
ATACAACTAGGCTGCTGTGATATGGTCACTGCCCTTACTGTGCTACATATTACTGCGAGGGGGATGACGTATAAACCTGTTGTAAGTGATATGACGTATATAACTACTAGTGA
TATGACGTATAGGCTAGAACAACGTGATATGACGTATATGACTACTGTCCCAAACATCAGTGATATGACGTATACTATAATTTCTATAATAGTGATAAATAAACCTGGGCTAAA
TACGTTCCTGAATACGTGGCATAAACCTGGGCTAACGAGGAATACCCATAGTTTAGCAATAAGCTATAGTTCGTCATTTTTAA
GGCGCGCCTTAACTAGCTAA
Watermark-3 1109 base pairs
TTAACTAGCTAA
TTTAACCATATTTAAATATCATCCTGATTTTCACTGGCTCGTTGCGTGATATAGATTCTACTGTAGTGCTAGATAGTTCTGTACTAGGTGATACTATAGATTTC
ATAGATAGCACTACTGGCTTCATGCTAGGCATCCCAATAGCTAGTGATAGTTTAGTGCATACAACGTCATGTGATACAACGTTGCTGGCTGTAGATACAACGTCGTATTCTGT
AAGTGATACAATAGCTATTGCTGTGCATAGGCCTATAGTGGCTGTAACTAGTGATATCACGTAACAACCATATAAGTTAGATTTAATGCCCCTGACTGAACGCTCGTTGCGTG
ATAGTTTAGGCTCGTTGCATACAACTGTGATTTTCATAAAACAACGTGATAATTTAGTGCTAGATAAGTTCCGCTTAGCAAGTGATAGTTTCCGCTTGACTGTGCATAGTTCGT
TCATGCGCTCGTTGCGTGATAAACTAGGCAGCTTCACAACTGATAATTTAATTGCTGATATTGCTGGCTGTCTAGTGCTAGTGATCATAGTGCGTGATAGTTTAAGCTGCTCT
GTTTTAGATATCACGTGCTTGATAATGAAACTAACTAGTGATACTACGTAGTTAACTATGAATAGGCCTACTGTAAATTCAATAGTGCGTGATATTGAACTAGATTCTGCAACTG
CTAATATGCCGTGCTGCACGTTTGGTGATAGTTTAGCATGCTTCACTATAATAAATATGGTAGTTGTAACTACTGCGAATAGGGGGAGCTTAATAAATATGATCACTGTGCTAC
GCTATATGCCGTTGAATATAGGCTATATGATCATAACATATATAGCTATAAGTGATAAGTTCCTGAATATAGGCTATATGATCATAACATATACAACTGTACTCATGAATAAGTT
AACGAGGA
TTAACTAGCTAA
Watermark-4 1222 base pairs
TTAACTAGCTAA
TTTCATTGCTGATCACTGTAGATATAGTGCATTCTATAAGTCGCTCCCACAGGCTAGTGCTGCGCACGTTTTTCAGTGATATTATCCTAGTGCTACATAACA
TCATAGTGCGTGATAAACCTGATACAATAGGTGATATCATAGCAACTGAACTGACGTTGCATAGCTCAACTGTGATCAGTGATATAGATTCTGATACTATAGCAACGTTGCGT
GATATTTTCACTACTGGCTTGACTGTAGTGCATATGATAGTACGTCTAACTAGCATAACTAGTGATAGTTATATTTCTATAGCTGTACATATTGTAATGCTGATAACTAGTGATA
TAATCCAACTAGATAGTCCTGAACTGATCCCTATGCTAACTAGTGATAAACTAACTGATACATCGTTCCTGCTACGTGATAGCTTCACTGAGTTCCATACATCGTCGTGCTTAA
ACATCAGTGATAACACTATAGAGTTCATAGATACTGCATTAACTAGTGATATGACTGCAAATAGCTTGACGTTTTGCAGTCTAAAACAACGTGATAATTCTGTAGTGCTAGATA
CTATAGATTTCCTGCTAAGTGATAAGTCTACTGATTTACTAATGAATAGCTTGGTTTTGGCATACACTGTGCGCTGCACTGGTGATAGCTTTTCGTTGATGAATAATTTCCCTA
GCACTGTGCGTGATATGCTAGATTCTGTAGATAGGCTAAATTCGTCTACGTTTGTAGGTGATAGTTTAGTTGCTGTAACTAATATTATCCCTGTGCCGTTGCTAAGCTGTGATA
TCATAGTGCTGCTAGATATGATAAGCAAACTAATAGAGTCGAGGGGGAGTCTCATAGTGAATACTGATATTTTAGTGCTGCCGTTGAATAAGTTCCCTGAACATTGTGATACT
GATATTTTAGTGCTGCCGTTGAATATCCTGCATTTAACTAGCTTGATAGTGCATTCGAGGAATACCCATACTACTGTTTTCATAGCTAATTATAGGCTAACATTGCCAATAGTGC
GGCGCGCCTTAACTAGCTAA
Figure S1
The team created a code that spells out the 26 letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0 to 9 and several punctuation marks. They then wrote a message which reveals the code. A second missive was a string of 'letters' corresponding to the names of 46 people involved in the project. A third gave an e-mail address where people can write once they crack the code and the fourth listed three philosophical quotes.
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