D*****r
发帖数: 6791 | 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10132762
'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News 20 May 2010
Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first living cell to
be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA.
The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and
transplanted it into a host cell.
The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by
the synthetic DNA.
The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark,
but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.
Some also suggest that the potential benefits of the technology have been
over-stated.
But the researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will
produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.
The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI)
in Maryland and California.
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Craig Venter defends the synthetic living cell
He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and
transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.
Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call
a "synthetic cell", although only its genome is truly synthetic.
Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell.
The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its
genetic code and then used "synthesis machines" to chemically construct a
copy.
Continue reading the main story
How a synthetic cell
was created
Thaksin Shinawatra in 2001
The scientists "decoded" the chromosome of an existing bacterial cell -
using a computer to read each of the letters of genetic code.
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Dr Venter told BBC News: "We've now been able to take our synthetic
chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell - a different organism.
"As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and
converts into the species specified in that genetic code."
The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that
contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.
"This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a
cell," said Dr Venter.
'New industrial revolution'
Dr Venter and his colleagues hope eventually to design and build new
bacteria that will perform useful functions.
"I think they're going to potentially create a new industrial revolution,"
he said.
"If we can really get cells to do the production that we want, they could
help wean us off oil and reverse some of the damage to the environment by
capturing carbon dioxide."
Continue reading the main story
WATTS WHAT...
Susan Watts
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Even some scientists worry we lack the means to weigh up the risks such
novel organisms might represent, once set loose”
Susan Watts BBC Newsnight
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Dr Venter and his colleagues are already collaborating with pharmaceutical
and fuel companies to design and develop chromosomes for bacteria that would
produce useful fuels and new vaccines.
But critics say that the potential benefits of synthetic organisms have been
overstated.
Dr Helen Wallace from Genewatch UK, an organisation that monitors
developments in genetic technologies, told BBC News that synthetic bacteria
could be dangerous.
"If you release new organisms into the environment, you can do more harm
than good," she said.
"By releasing them into areas of pollution, [with the aim of cleaning it up]
, you're actually releasing a new kind of pollution.
"We don't know how these organisms will behave in the environment."
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
The risks are unparalleled, we need safety evaluation for this kind of
radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse ”
Julian Savulescu Oxford University ethics professor
Profile: Craig Venter
Q&A: The meaning of synthetic life
Ethics concern over synthetic cell
Dr Wallace accused Dr Venter of playing down the potential drawbacks.
"He isn't God," she said, "he's actually being very human; trying to get
money invested in his technology and avoid regulation that would restrict
its use."
But Dr Venter said that he was "driving the discussions" about the
regulations governing this relatively new scientific field and about the
ethical implications of the work.
He said: "In 2003, when we made the first synthetic virus, it underwent an
extensive ethical review that went all the way up to the level of the White
House.
"And there have been extensive reviews including from the National Academy
of Sciences, which has done a comprehensive report on this new field.
"We think these are important issues and we urge continued discussion that
we want to take part in."
Ethical discussions
Dr Gos Micklem, a geneticist from the University of Cambridge, said that the
advance was "undoubtedly a landmark" study.
But, he said, "there is already a wealth of simple, cheap, powerful and
mature techniques for genetically engineering a range of organisms.
Therefore, for the time being, this approach is unlikely to supplant
existing methods for genetic engineering".
The ethical discussions surrounding the creation of synthetic or artificial
life are set to continue.
Professor Julian Savulescu, from the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical
Ethics at the University of Oxford, said the potential of this science was "
in the far future, but real and significant".
"But the risks are also unparalleled," he continued. "We need new standards
of safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from
military or terrorist misuse and abuse.
"These could be used in the future to make the most powerful bioweapons
imaginable. The challenge is to eat the fruit without the worm."
The advance did not pose a danger in the form of bio-terrorism, Dr Venter
said.
"That was reviewed extensively in the US in a report from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Washington defence think tank,
indicating that there were very small new dangers from this.
"Most people are in agreement that there is a slight increase in the
potential for harm. But there's an exponential increase in the potential
benefit to society," he told BBC's Newsnight.
"The flu vaccine you'll get next year could be developed by these processes,
" he added. | s********a
发帖数: 303 | 2 "The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. "
copy & paste 而已
by
landmark,
【在 D*****r 的大作中提到】
: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10132762
: 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
: By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News 20 May 2010
: Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first living cell to
: be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA.
: The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and
: transplanted it into a host cell.
: The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by
: the synthetic DNA.
: The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark,
| D*****r
发帖数: 6791 | 3 哈，对，就是合成一条DNA，然后把细胞里的替换掉。好像是。
【在 s********a 的大作中提到】
: "The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. "
: copy & paste 而已
:
: by
: landmark,
|
|
