Playing God: creating new synthetic life forms

Unidentified unicellular bacteria
by Toby Ciranjiiva Tatsuyama-Kurk

Scientists reported this week that they were able to convert a cell into a new species following a complete DNA transplant. This is a revolutionary finding which will open up the potential of making new life forms by transplanting hand-crafted synthetic DNA into laboratory grown cell bodies.

Published in the online journal of Science, scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville transplanted the DNA from one species of bacteria into another species and watched as the recipient cell changed its entire identity by taking on all the characteristics of the donor DNA. Furthermore, this was the largest genome ever transplanted — about 1 million bases long versus the largest artificial chromosomes made thus far which was about half a million bases long.

“This is equivalent to changing a Macintosh computer into a PC by inserting a new piece of [PC] software,” said study leader J. Craig Venter, chief executive of Synthetic Genomics, a company racing to be the first to create fully synthetic, replicating cells. But until now, he said, it has not been clear if chromosomes could spur the machinery of life into action after landing in the innards of an unfamiliar cell.

In the next few months, having already received approval from ethics boards, the scientists will be attempting the first transplant of a synthetic chromosome into a cell, thus creating the first synthetic life form.

In the right hands, this technology can create new synthetic cells which produce biofuels that are cleaner and cheaper than oil and thereby solve our global energy and environmental crisis. On the other hand, we want to prevent the accidental creation of super-viruses or bioterrorism weapons which could wipe out humanity faster than anything found in nature. As with most disruptive technologies with their potential to do great good and great harm, we must be careful.

More information: “Life Swap:Switching genomes converts bacteria“