[1]

Craig Venter creates synthetic life form | Science | The Guardian

:leon:

 

[1]

Immaculate creation: birth of the first synthetic cell - life - 20 May 2010 - New Scientist

 

[ccavera]

I, for one, welcome our new synthetic overlords.

 

[146]

Hmm, I think this was posted already, but the New Scientist article really explains what it is all about. I guess my assumptions after reading the BBC article in the other thread were totally wrong.

 

[Drew]

There was an article in this in this week's Economist, too.

On one hand, only the DNA was synthetic, and they still had to put it inside a previously-stripped mitochondria shell to get it to "live."

On the other, that's still pretty fucking crazy.

 

[zepp]

Science: 1
Religion: 0

 

[sami]

This is kinda creepy!!!

 

[noodles]

There was a piece about this on NPR this morning. Essentially, they mapped an entire bacteria's genome, and stored it on disk. Then, using the a computer and four vats (one each for the four chemical components of DNA), they re-created the entire DNA strand from scratch. This is the proof of concept, just scratching the surface of what is possible.

Venter than went on to describe a scenario where they design a algae that eats CO2, and excretes hydrocarbons (fuel). Imagine solving the fuel crisis and global warming at the same time.

 

[stealthtastic]

Thats crazy

 

[Daemon Barbeque]

There was a piece about this on NPR this morning. Essentially, they mapped an entire bacteria's genome, and stored it on disk. Then, using the a computer and four vats (one each for the four chemical components of DNA), they re-created the entire DNA strand from scratch. This is the proof of concept, just scratching the surface of what is possible.

Venter than went on to describe a scenario where they design a algae that eats CO2, and excretes hydrocarbons (fuel). Imagine solving the fuel crisis and global warming at the same time.

Now that sounds interesting. That would bring Pontiac back LOL