Artificial life created in lab

With a breakthrough that would make Dr Frankenstein proud, scientists in the US have pushed the boundaries of modern science by successfully implanting a synthetic genome into an emptied bacterium cell.

Discovery Channel will be exploring this artificial life breakthrough in a dedicated show, Creating Synthetic Life, on Monday 7th June at 8pm (UK).

For the first time ever, scientists have created artificial life with an organism that's controlled entirely by man-made DNA.

The US based scientists, working at the J. Craig Venter Institute, used the tools of synthetic biology to install the artificial genome inside a host cell from which they had completely removed the DNA. This artificial genome invigorated the host cell, which then began to grow and reproduce.

There were a few problems. Several of the synthesized genes didn't work properly, but there is no doubt that artificial life was successfully created.

'This is the first synthetic cell that's been made,' said Venter. '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.'

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How will this affect the human race?

J. Crag Venter has partnered with both a pharmaceutical company and a major oil and gas company in order to raise funding for further research into what can be done with this new-found breakthrough.

It is thought that Venter's creation of artificial life could allow scientists to create more useful bacteria that can reduce the cost and speed up the production of biofuels, vaccines and drugs.

What do you think? Is the J. Craig venter Institute playing God by creating artificial life? Has science gone a step too far or is this the gateway to a future of untold possibility?

Have your say below.

Related links:
- Watch video clips from Creating Synthetic Life
- See the team who created scientific history here
- Find out more about the first synthetic cell

Comments

[Rally Sports]

n future, bacterial 'factories' could be set up to manufacture artificial organisms designed for specific tasks such as medicines or producing clean biofuels.

The technology could also be harnessed to create environmentally friendly bugs capable of mopping up carbon dioxide or toxic waste.

Dr Venter, a 63-year-old Vietnam War veteran known for his showman tendencies, said last night: 'We are entering a new era where we're limited mostly by our imaginations.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1279988/Artificial-life-created-genome-pioneer-sparking-moral-dilemma.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0oWdnRES5
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[RAJEEV]

it is very instructing i hope after 25 years there is no death or aged people in the world as a story telling in our myth that one guy lived in the earth like youngester for millions of years

[Vaneeta]

Certainly man has taken a giant step by creation of artifical life in the lab. But there are still many questions that need to be answered. Are we really ready to take on the responsibility of an artifical life, when we still ponder over the best ways to bring up our own children? Are we really sure that there wouldn't be a negative use / effect of this technology for destructive purposes such as biological warfare, etc. While everyone likes to live forever and want their nears and dears also to do the same, is it really worth to cram up the earth further with over population??

"God and science are not enemies, Science is just too young to understand"

[Jo]

So they're created artificial DNA like any other synthetic chemical. But to create "life" they would also have to cook up a host cell from first principals in order to encase and replicate the DNA.

[Judy]

I am sorry, but do not think this is so wonderful, we can't figure out life as it is. No need for this, there is not enough room for extended life

[Alexamenos]

John 3 (New King James Version)
The New Birth
1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[a] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[b] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

[Christian]

¿This Scientists "create" "artificial life"? I don´t think so. They only "mantain" the previous life in the bacteria through "articial-assembled DNA; this -I think- would be a more "accurate" title for the article. First, life is already been "created" (by a CREATOR, see Genesis1; not "developed"). Second, this scientists only "mantain" live a bacteria with "artifially-assembled DNA". The bacteria was already live; scientists achievement was not kill it during the process, and keep it alive after the "DNA-trasplantation". Anyway, congratulations for the "REAL" achievement of the scientists. A big step, in any case. (Anyway, thruthfullness of this experiment most wait to pass pair-reviewed from scientific societies).
RAJEEV: ""God and science are not enemies, Science is just too young to understand"
Prov18:15(NKJV): "The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."
Prov19:2(NKJV):"Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,And he sins who hastens with his feet."
Ecclesiastes1:18b(NKJV): "And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow."
Isaiah40:13-15(NKJV): "Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing."
GOD bless all scientists.

[Michael Reynolds]

Can we make something to eat the oil dumping into the Gulf of Mexico?

[david bradbury]

With all due respect to a very inteligent Dr, but can he not see what he is doing ? it is not up to us to produce life,that is for God..not man and why is it that America wishes to dominate the world with a threat of a possibly dangerous life form. we should all be aware of this danger to the whole earth and life upon it. STOP it now before we all have to suffer the concequences.

[Peter Danyluk]

Surly this only goes to prove that there has to be an intelligent designer at work to organise that DNA to produce life. Evolution cannot explain how proteins alone are able to organise themselves to produce Chromosomes let alone the complex molecules that are needed for life. Is this not just a small step for our understanding of life? Science is great at doing that but we always need to consider that DNA is just Information. Information that cannot organise itself as Prof W Gitt attains to quite poignantly;

Prof Werner Gitt, 106
Theorem 28: There is no known law of nature, no known process
and no known sequence of events which can cause information
to originate by itself in matter.
http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/gn/gn058/tinycode_dna.htm

The theory of Evolution would have one suppose that an animal for example is able, somehow, to arrange its DNA thereby producing an advantageous body modification, aiding its offspring’s survivability. Maybe we could sprout wings and fly away at some point. Small modifications I agree with, within its own species but to increase the information base of DNA is impossible and I just don’t buy that.