Researchers creating life from scratch - ‘Synthetic biologists’

[Dover]

Researchers creating life from scratch
‘Synthetic biologists’ build with one genetic molecule at a time


BERKELEY, Calif. - They're called "synthetic biologists" and they boldly claim the ability to make never-before-seen living things, one genetic molecule at a time.

They're mixing, matching and stacking DNA's chemical components like microscopic Lego blocks in an effort to make biologically based computers, medicines and alternative energy sources. The rapidly expanding field is confounding the taxonomists' centuries-old system of classifying species and raising concerns about the new technology's potential for misuse.

Though scientists have been combining the genetic material of two species for 30 years now, their work has remained relatively simplistic...>>

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9005023/

[greyl]

1. dupe

mzteris posted this on the 18th
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x11606

[Moderator]

2. Locking - dupe from earlier post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x11606