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'Artificial Life' Breakthrough Announced By Scientists ["Scientific Landmark"]
BBCNews ^ | May 20, 2010

Posted on 05/20/2010 10:51:45 AM PDT by Steelfish

'Artificial Life' Breakthrough Announced By Scientists Thursday, 20 May 2010

The synthetic cell looks identical to the "wild type" Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell. The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms. The researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.

The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute in Maryland and California.

He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.

Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call a "synthetic cell", although only its genome is truly synthetic.

Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell. The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used "synthesis machines" to chemically construct a copy.

Dr Venter told BBC News: "We've now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell - a different organism.

"As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code."

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

"This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell," said Dr Venter.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: artificiallife; frankenstein; madscientists
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To: atomic conspiracy

This is all part of the “progressive” agenda.

First - get everybody healthy through obabmacare and other lifestyle controlling forces (like wellness-plans).

Second - start up the eugenics.

You see, the lefty fascists figure that hitler had it “right” all along. He just changed things too fast.


21 posted on 05/20/2010 11:10:46 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Steelfish

“and even absorb greenhouse gases”

Yeah, let’s make a synthetic bacteria that gobbles up all the CO2! That will stop global warming (or climate change or whatever)!

Of course, it would also kill almost all life on Earth, but hey, it’s for the CHILDREN!

As another poster said, this will end well...


22 posted on 05/20/2010 11:11:17 AM PDT by piytar (Ammo is hard to find! Bought some lately? Please share where at www.ammo-finder.com)
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To: Steelfish

If true, this may affirm Intelligent Design.


23 posted on 05/20/2010 11:13:24 AM PDT by Theo (May Rome decrease and Christ increase.)
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To: Steelfish

I’ve seen this movie before - I Am Legend.


24 posted on 05/20/2010 11:18:35 AM PDT by epluribus_2
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To: Steelfish

What is the bacteria’s inception date???


25 posted on 05/20/2010 11:24:23 AM PDT by rednesss (fascism is the union,marriage,merger or fusion of corporate economic power with governmental power)
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To: Steelfish

And this will be how they kill off over 5 billion people.


26 posted on 05/20/2010 11:25:33 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: stuartcr
I hate it when synthetic DNA starts controlling my cells, it always feels weird.
27 posted on 05/20/2010 11:25:49 AM PDT by Erasmus (Looks like we're between a lithic outcropping and a region of low compressibility.)
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To: stuartcr
I hate it when synthetic DNA starts controlling my cells, it always feels weird.

And it's really uncomfortable when the weather turns hot and humid.

(The system somehow disappeared my typing the first time.)

28 posted on 05/20/2010 11:27:21 AM PDT by Erasmus (Looks like we're between a lithic outcropping and a region of low compressibility.)
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To: T. P. Pole

All green plants absorb greenhouse gases. Sheesh.


29 posted on 05/20/2010 11:31:07 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (ANTHROPOGENIC CONTINENTAL DRIFT: for when global warming isn't silly enough anymore.)
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To: nina0113

“Get your own dirt.”

I love that old joke.


30 posted on 05/20/2010 11:39:08 AM PDT by Jim Hill
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To: Erasmus

Got that right.


31 posted on 05/20/2010 11:40:42 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different)
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To: ForAmerica

It’s not like God didn’t know what satan was going to do, or us for that matter.


32 posted on 05/20/2010 11:42:09 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different)
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To: Steelfish
Synthetic life? Make your own universe first, and then I will be impressed.

--God

33 posted on 05/20/2010 12:01:28 PM PDT by backwoods-engineer ("It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself." --Jefferson)
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To: Steelfish

Will they call it abominatia frankensteinis?


34 posted on 05/20/2010 12:03:19 PM PDT by BuffaloJack (Comrade O has to go.)
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To: Steelfish

All of this has happened before. It will happen again.


35 posted on 05/20/2010 12:04:17 PM PDT by rintense
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To: Jim Hill

I figured everyone already knew it, that’s why I only posted the punchline.


36 posted on 05/20/2010 12:11:59 PM PDT by nina0113
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To: Steelfish

Aw, come back and brag about it when you don’t need a “host cell”.


37 posted on 05/20/2010 1:13:48 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Steelfish

Overstated headline, but cool nonetheless!


38 posted on 05/20/2010 2:00:42 PM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: piytar
We already have organisms that absorb greenhouse gasses: they're called plants.
39 posted on 05/20/2010 3:30:32 PM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
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To: stuartcr
I hate it when synthetic DNA starts controlling my cells, it always feels weird.

Sort of a polyester feel?

40 posted on 05/20/2010 4:43:59 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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