Biology
By Rick WeissWashington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 25, 2008; Page A04
Scientists in Maryland yesterday said they had built from scratch an entire microbial chromosome, a loop of synthetic DNA carrying all the instructions that a simple cell needs to live and reproduce.
Venter said the goal is to design novel microbes whose handcrafted genomes endow them with the ability produce useful chemicals, including renewable synthetic fuels that could substitute for oil.
Critics, however, countered that without better oversight of the fledgling field, synthetic biology is more likely to lead to the creation of potent biological weapons and runaway microbes that could wreak environmental havoc.
Venter and others have already made synthetic genomes for viruses, which are about one-hundredth the size of bacterial genomes. Some activists contend that synthetic bacteria pose more dangers because, unlike viruses, they can replicate on their own and can survive a long time in the environment.
Venter said the work was green-lighted by government offices, the National Academies and an independent ethics review board.
What do you think about science being able to create life from nothing within a lab? Is it right or is it wrong?
- Organelle Genomes Are Circular Dnas That Code For Organelle Proteins
KEY TERMS:Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an independent DNA genome, usually circular, that is located in the mitochondrion. Chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) is an independent genome (usually circular) found in a plant chloroplast. KEY CONCEPTS: Organelle...
- The Human Genome Has Fewer Genes Than Expected
KEY CONCEPTS:Only 1% of the human genome consists of coding regions. The exons comprise ~5% of each gene, so genes (exons plus introns) comprise ~25% of the genome. The human genome has 30,000-40,000 genes. ~60% of human genes are alternatively spliced....
- Bacterial Gene Numbers Range Over An Order Of Magnitude
KEY CONCEPTS:Genome sequences show that there are 500-1200 genes in parasitic bacteria, 1500-7500 genes in free-living bacteria, and 1500-2700 genes in archaea. Large-scale efforts have now led to the sequencing of many genomes. A range is summarized...
- Genetic Information Can Be Provided By Dna Or Rna
KEY TERMS:The central dogma describes the basic nature of genetic information: sequences of nucleic acid can be perpetuated and interconverted by replication, transcription, and reverse transcription, but translation from nucleic acid to protein is unidirectional,...
- Synthetic Recombinant Gene
A synthetic recombinant gene was discovered in 1977. It was used to clone a protein for the first time. Human protein manufactured in bacteria by Genentech, Incorporated....
Biology
Md. Scientists Build Bacterial Chromosome
By Rick WeissWashington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 25, 2008; Page A04
Scientists in Maryland yesterday said they had built from scratch an entire microbial chromosome, a loop of synthetic DNA carrying all the instructions that a simple cell needs to live and reproduce.
Venter said the goal is to design novel microbes whose handcrafted genomes endow them with the ability produce useful chemicals, including renewable synthetic fuels that could substitute for oil.
Critics, however, countered that without better oversight of the fledgling field, synthetic biology is more likely to lead to the creation of potent biological weapons and runaway microbes that could wreak environmental havoc.
Venter and others have already made synthetic genomes for viruses, which are about one-hundredth the size of bacterial genomes. Some activists contend that synthetic bacteria pose more dangers because, unlike viruses, they can replicate on their own and can survive a long time in the environment.
Venter said the work was green-lighted by government offices, the National Academies and an independent ethics review board.
What do you think about science being able to create life from nothing within a lab? Is it right or is it wrong?
- Organelle Genomes Are Circular Dnas That Code For Organelle Proteins
KEY TERMS:Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an independent DNA genome, usually circular, that is located in the mitochondrion. Chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) is an independent genome (usually circular) found in a plant chloroplast. KEY CONCEPTS: Organelle...
- The Human Genome Has Fewer Genes Than Expected
KEY CONCEPTS:Only 1% of the human genome consists of coding regions. The exons comprise ~5% of each gene, so genes (exons plus introns) comprise ~25% of the genome. The human genome has 30,000-40,000 genes. ~60% of human genes are alternatively spliced....
- Bacterial Gene Numbers Range Over An Order Of Magnitude
KEY CONCEPTS:Genome sequences show that there are 500-1200 genes in parasitic bacteria, 1500-7500 genes in free-living bacteria, and 1500-2700 genes in archaea. Large-scale efforts have now led to the sequencing of many genomes. A range is summarized...
- Genetic Information Can Be Provided By Dna Or Rna
KEY TERMS:The central dogma describes the basic nature of genetic information: sequences of nucleic acid can be perpetuated and interconverted by replication, transcription, and reverse transcription, but translation from nucleic acid to protein is unidirectional,...
- Synthetic Recombinant Gene
A synthetic recombinant gene was discovered in 1977. It was used to clone a protein for the first time. Human protein manufactured in bacteria by Genentech, Incorporated....