DARPA Aims for Synthetic Life With a Kill Switch

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday February 5, 2010 @08:26AM from the things-not-to-backport dept.

jkinney3 writes to mention that DARPA's mad scientists have undertaken a new program designed to create synthetic organisms, complete with a "kill switch." The project, dubbed BioDesign, is dumping $6 million into "removing the randomness of evolutionary advancement" by creating genetically engineered masterpieces. "Of course, Darpa's got to prevent the super-species from being swayed to do enemy work — so they'll encode loyalty right into DNA, by developing genetically programmed locks to create 'tamper proof' cells. Plus, the synthetic organism will be traceable, using some kind of DNA manipulation, 'similar to a serial number on a handgun.' And if that doesn't work, don't worry. In case Darpa's plan somehow goes horribly awry, they're also tossing in a last-resort, genetically-coded kill switch."

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No Worries by Chris+Lawrence · 2010-02-05 08:29 · Score: 1, Redundant

What could possibly go wrong?
mandatory... by isama · 2010-02-05 08:30 · Score: 0, Redundant

what could possibly go wrong?
whatcouldpossiblygowrong by SanityInAnarchy · 2010-02-05 08:45 · Score: 0, Redundant

That's the obvious tag.
Seeing as they seem to be going for something biological, I'm going to guess they'll regret summoning Azathoth.

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Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
What could POSSIBLY go wrong? by kheldan · 2010-02-05 08:58 · Score: 0, Redundant

I see nothing good coming of this. It's like a plot from some bad made-for-TV SciFi movie -- and it'll end just as badly, if it gets off the ground at all.

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I saw this movie by Daveez · 2010-02-05 09:15 · Score: 0, Redundant

I saw this movie before. It was called BladeRunner