synthetic biology

In last week's edition of "The Economist" magazine, there is a "Special Report:
Synthetic Biology". (The Economist, vol. 380 no. 8493, September 2, 2006,
pages 67, 68 & 70: "Life 2.0".)

Speaking of an extrapolation of "the growing efficiency of DNA synthesis",
"By the end of the decade ... if they continue to hold true ... the power to
synthesise a string of DNA the size of a human genome in a day."

"Dr. Venter reckons he will be able to synthesise a working bacterial genome
within two years. More complex genomes ... will take longer. But they, he
thinks, should be possible within a decade."

"Peter Carr of MIT and Farren Isaacs of Harvard Medical School ... intend to
recode E. coli completely, eliminating the redudant codons. ... if their new
bacterium is at least viable, it will have 43 codons that can be re-assigned
to other tasks."

Incidentally, the article notes:

Drew Andy, "As an engineer, he can recognize a kludge when he sees one.
And life, in his opinion, is a kludge."


--
---Tom S. <http://talkreason.org/articles/chickegg.cfm>
"... have a clear idea of what you should expect if your hypothesis is correct,
and what you should observe if your hypothesis is wrong ... If you cannot do
this, then this is an indicator that your hypothesis may be too vague."
RV Clarke & JE Eck: Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers - step 20

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: synthetic biology
    ... Speaking of an extrapolation of "the growing efficiency of DNA synthesis", ... "Dr. Venter reckons he will be able to synthesise a working bacterial genome ... Drew Andy, "As an engineer, he can recognize a kludge when he sees one. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Scientists make first artificial virus
    ... Scientists use DNA to make virus ... The naturally occurring virus does not infect people ... These synthetic organisms - on the scale of bacteria - could be ... The scientists say the ability to quickly and accurately synthesise ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: OT: Intelligent Falling
    ... >ingenious young biochemists- to synthesise, ... >substances it is agreed could occur naturally), ... stable molecule which carries a few hundred bits of ... But the chemists themselves are already made of DNA. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
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