Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher who once tried to map the human genome for commercial purpose, is back at it again. This time, he claimed that he has created artificial life by constructing a man-made chromosome:
The Guardian can reveal that a team of 20 top scientists assembled by Mr Venter, led by the Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith, has already constructed a synthetic chromosome, a feat of virtuoso bio-engineering never previously achieved. Using lab-made chemicals, they have painstakingly stitched together a chromosome that is 381 genes long and contains 580,000 base pairs of genetic code.
The DNA sequence is based on the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium which the team pared down to the bare essentials needed to support life, removing a fifth of its genetic make-up. The wholly synthetically reconstructed chromosome, which the team have christened Mycoplasma laboratorium, has been watermarked with inks for easy recognition.
It is then transplanted into a living bacterial cell and in the final stage of the process it is expected to take control of the cell and in effect become a new life form. The team of scientists has already successfully transplanted the genome of one type of bacterium into the cell of another, effectively changing the cell's species. Mr Venter said he was "100% confident" the same technique would work for the artificially created chromosome.
And Dave, please stay away from science and go back to church. Where you can study completely plausible events like Noah's Ark and Virgin Births, and worship a genocidal god who likes to torture people.
To say that they've gutted the genome of a bacteria and made an entirely new species by putting the pieces back together... and saying they succeeded in making a living/replicating/functional organism is down-right EXTRORDINARY! Far from a hack-job.
wrong. an infinite regression of intelligent designers? let's not be stupid.