A team of US researchers, led by biologist Dr Craig Venter, has developed the first synthetic living cell in a laboratory.
The "landmark" study will play a crucial role in the field of genomics. It will help in the creation of artificial organisms for tasks including making vaccines or cleaning up pollution.
However, experts have warned that synthetic life could also pose potential dangers, as it could lead to terrifying biological weapons. This was demonstrated by Mary Shelley in her famous novel.
By breathing life into a bacterium using genes assembled in the laboratory, maverick genetics entrepreneur Dr Venter realised a 15-year dream.
The researchers "re-booted" a simple microbe by transplanting into it a set of genetic code sequences. The findings were published in the journal Science.
They copied the genome from the blueprint contained in Mycoplasma mycoides, a simple bacterium that infects cattle and goats.
After first constructing short strands of DNA, the scientists used yeast cells as natural factory assembly lines.
The sequence was built in a step-by-step process. DNA repair systems in the yeast attached the pieces together, gradually lengthening the strands to finish up with a chromosome more than a million "letters" of genetic code long.
The final test came when the completed chromosome was transplanted into another bacterium, Mycoplasma capricolum, replacing its native DNA.
After a failed first attempt, the scientists brought the cells to life. Driven by the new genome, the bacteria took on the appearance and behaviour of M. mycoides, generating different proteins and multiplying.
The researchers "re-booted" a simple microbe by transplanting into it a set of genetic code sequences. The findings were published in the journal Science.
They copied the genome from the blueprint contained in Mycoplasma mycoides, a simple bacterium that infects cattle and goats.
After first constructing short strands of DNA, the scientists used yeast cells as natural factory assembly lines.
The sequence was built in a step-by-step process. DNA repair systems in the yeast attached the pieces together, gradually lengthening the strands to finish up with a chromosome more than a million "letters" of genetic code long.
The final test came when the completed chromosome was transplanted into another bacterium, Mycoplasma capricolum, replacing its native DNA.
After a failed first attempt, the scientists brought the cells to life. Driven by the new genome, the bacteria took on the appearance and behaviour of M. mycoides, generating different proteins and multiplying.
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