Another step in the quest to create life has been made, as scientists successfully transformed one bacteria into another by replacing it's DNA with a related species'. Now, scientists are setting their sights on creating entirely new microbes with unique genome sequences, from scratch.
Dr Venter likened it to “changing a Macintosh computer into a PC by inserting a new piece of software” and stressed it would be more difficult in other kinds of cells, which have enzymes to snip the DNA of invaders.
But he said to achieve the feat, without adding anything more than naked DNA, “is a huge enabling step.”
“It’s a necessary step toward creating artificial life,” added microbiologist Fred Blattner of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Dr Venter said that, in the light of this success, the culmination of a decade’s work, he will be attempting the first transplant of a lab-made genome to create the first artificial life “within months.”
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by coconutnut.
Oh if only it were as easy as just installing windows.
Hey, waitaminute....
"Methylation should protect the synthetic genome against the host cells’ defenses, much as drugs that suppress the immune system protect transplanted organs against rejection. "
I was jumping around articles to get a picture I liked and I went for the old article by mistake. Really sorry about that.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6804599.ece
Thanks, you made my morning! LOL
Here is how you can tell: When scientists do something great, they brag and show it to the world. If they can't and no one else has proven they can't, they announce that a breakthrough is imminent and grab more funding. If they can and are about to do it, they hide from the world until they do.