Online Artificial Gene Design

massivefoot writes to tell us New Scientist is reporting that researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have released a new software suite, GeneDesign, that helps to simplify the steps in designing artificial DNA. From the article: "These key steps include translating proteins and amino acids - the building blocks which make proteins - backwards into a DNA sequence. Or the software can manipulate simulated DNA "codons" which can code for an amino acid. DNA codons are made of sets of three nucleotides - the fundamental molecules which link together to form a DNA chain."

Comments

Intellectual property

[quokkapox]

So who is going to sue me when I design a gene to make Avastin and Herceptin? This will be the real test of our obsolete intellectual property regime, when the medical establishment's equivalent of the RIAA/MPAA sues cancer patients for synthesizing their own drugs, like the music industry is now suing your neighbor's kids.