Re: synthetic biology


TomS wrote:
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."

What, not billions of years? The original Designers of life must have
been
in a union shop.

"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."

Tracy P. Hamilton

.

Relevant Pages

  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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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