# Synthetic Biology Milestone, DNA designed on Computer Then Synthesized



## Nemo888 (29 Mar 2014)

It started as a yeast then 50,000 changes were made to it's DNA. They then ran it through 150 generations to test their work. You can imagine the defense and security implications of being able to code a self replicating bioweapon and email it somewhere to be synthesized. I think Suffield needs a much larger budget. I don't think most people are aware how fast the technology is moving and commercializing. I can order unique synthesized peptides by emailing the design and paying 40$ per amino and 200$ setup. This was impossible ten years ago. At this rate of innovation I would extrapolate(guess) in 10 years you'll be able to do that with DNA fragments. 

Good synopsis here.

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21599754-first-synthetic-chromosome-creature-complex-cells-designed


----------



## pbi (31 Mar 2014)

This raises a question I've often wondered about: should we put curbs on biotechnology, genome research, and the development of synthetic intelligence?

At the risk of being called a Luddite, are there actually some things we shouldn't meddle with? (I'm not thinking about this from a religious point of view, but that perspective certainly exists as well).

Or should we just the say "the hell with it...as long as We discover it before They do...)


----------



## Edward Campbell (31 Mar 2014)

Or should we say, "this is something new, we should try to understand it"?


----------



## a_majoor (1 Apr 2014)

There always seems to be something new to discover. It wasn't too long ago that a general realization seeped in that the human body was actually an ecosystem (and the cells in your body are outnumbered something like 10:1 by bacteria, virri and so on that live within you). Once you know and understand that fact, then you can start thinking about how that ecosystem affects you, and perhaps other people and creatures you come in contact with.

So there are inherent risks in experimenting with things you don't fully understand, but this sort of risk management has been going on since uggg reached for a burning branch all those years ago. Trying something new and understanding it is perhaps one of the most basic human impulses.

edit to add:

Here is an article about really taking things to the next level; incorporating synthetic elements like quantum dots or nano particles into bacteria. One can imagine filling vats with these engineered bacterial and iusing them to create all kinds of things:

http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/engineers-design-living-materials



> *Engineers design ‘living materials’*
> Hybrid materials combine bacterial cells with nonliving elements that can conduct electricity or emit light.
> Anne Trafton, MIT News Office
> March 23, 2014
> ...


----------

