There's a terrific new article about synthetic biology in SEED by James King, go check it out! Here's a little taste:
"Synthetic biology" is a catch-all label liberally applied to a host of methods for designing and constructing living things. Given the term's multiple definitions, one of Synthia's most immediately useful applications may be to place the achievement it represents within the context of synthetic biology's various flavors, in order to clarify what the creation of artificial life might actually mean.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
The reaction to the Venter Institute's synthetic genome transplantation has been decidedly mixed. Is this the beginning of something new and wonderful, the ability to really design organisms from scratch? Is it something more sinister, the beginning of a dark era where techno-corporate (or…
After years of painstaking research and experimentation, genomic pioneer J. Craig Venter has accomplished a long-awaited goal: he and his team at the J. Craig Venter Institute have introduced a synthetic genome into bacterial cells that can grow and replicate itself. Some have gone as far as…
During my summer blogging break, I thought I'd repost of few of my "greatest hits" from my old blog, just so you all wouldn't miss me so much. This one is from September 3, 2008. There was some nice discussion on Friendfeed that's worth checking out.
=====
Some recent posts that got me thinking…
I've been following the reaction to the synthesis of a new life form by the Venter lab with some interest and amusement. There have been a couple of common directions taken, and they're generally all wrong. This is not to say that there couldn't be valid concerns, but that the loudest complaining…