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Scientists Build Possibly The First Man-Made Genome
hackingbear writes "Wired is reporting that researchers have created the longest synthetic genome to date by threading together four long strands of DNA. 'Leading synthetic biologists said with the new work, published Thursday in the journal Science, the first synthetic life could be just months away — if it hasn't been created already. [...] The ability to synthesize longer DNA strands for less money parallels the history of genetic sequencing, where the price of sequencing a human genome has dropped from hundreds of millions of dollars to about $10,000. Just a few years ago, synthesizing a piece of DNA with 5,000 rungs in its helix, known as base-pairs, was impossible. Venter's new synthetic genome is 582,000 base-pairs.' As a programmer, I'm most excited by the possibility of a new platform and the programming jobs that will be created by it."
If Venter and company royally screw-up, and create some bug that kills us all, or turns the biosphere to a pile of gray goo, nobody's going to make any money off of dandy, new, commoditized designer life forms. Where do I complain?
But Jesus, and the Bible!
Our intelligent designer has never created an animal that we couldn't improve by strapping a bomb to it.
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
If that can be achieved (much like a Florida geneticist once made THC-producing orange trees) then you'll single-handedly kick the War on Drugs' ass. That would be a worthy cause right there.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Geez. The LAST thing society needs is a bunch of synthesized clones running around with hacked up spaghetti code for genes.
Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
The article does not say if it's methylated in the right places.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
As a regular guy, I am NOT excited by the thought of thousands of fat, greasy programmers drooling over a test tube and a well worn copy of "Weird Science."
As my friend Han was so fond of saying, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
In the article, Venter says that they will need something similar to high level programming tools in order to accomplish useful modifications. I think that there is already plenty of evidence that genetic systems have procedural abstraction. In talking about gene activation, Biologists often use the term "ordered cascade" to describe what's happening when one gene activates a few more and those genes, in turn, activate other genes. If you think about it, it's exactly like subroutines of a program. Construction of the bacterial flagellum, for example, starts with the activation of one gene, which activates others, leading to the contribution of about 25 genes. These genes contribute various parts of the flagellum and activation of the cellular machinery to put it together and attach it to the cell wall.
582k ought to be enough for anybody.
Coding with assembly is like playing with Legos. Coding an application in assembly is like building a car with Legos.
Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
Still, I can't help but wonder... is the entire universe against me? Or just the part where light has reached since my birth? Don't laugh; it's an important question.
You need a genetic sample [of Christ]
Acquire a Catholic who has just taken communion and induce him to vomit, thereby producing a viable sample of body and blood.
Who says science and faith aren't compatible?
Step into a huge movement. Don't Tread In Me.