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 ...
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.
“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...
If true, this may affirm Intelligent Design.
I’ve seen this movie before - I Am Legend.
What is the bacteria’s inception date???
And this will be how they kill off over 5 billion people.
And it's really uncomfortable when the weather turns hot and humid.
(The system somehow disappeared my typing the first time.)
All green plants absorb greenhouse gases. Sheesh.
Get your own dirt.
I love that old joke.
Got that right.
It’s not like God didn’t know what satan was going to do, or us for that matter.
--God
Will they call it abominatia frankensteinis?
All of this has happened before. It will happen again.
I figured everyone already knew it, that’s why I only posted the punchline.
Aw, come back and brag about it when you don’t need a “host cell”.
Overstated headline, but cool nonetheless!
Sort of a polyester feel?
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