Man-made microbe 'to create endless biofuel'.

[Bill Sikes]

I really, really don't think this sort of thing is a wise idea:



vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Man-made microbe 'to create endless biofuel'

A scientist is poised to create the world's first man-made species, a synthetic microbe that could lead to an endless supply of biofuel.

The Venter Institute's US Patent application claims exclusive ownership of a set of essential genes and a synthetic "free-living organism that can grow and replicate" that is made using those genes.

To create the synthetic organism his team is making snippets of DNA, known as oligonucleotides or "oligos", of up to 100 letters of DNA.

To build a primitive bug, with about 500 genes in half a million letters of DNA, Mr Venter's team is stitching together blocks of 50 or so letters, then growing them in the gut bug E coli. Then they turn these many small pieces into a handful of bigger ones until eventually two pieces can be assembled into the circular genome of the new life form."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



From "The Daily Telegraph", at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... uel108.xml



We don't even understand how much of the world as it is works, without buggering about with stuff like this!

[spot]

It's about time Ventner did that, I'm quite pleased. So long as he stays out of everyone and everything's food chain, of course.

I take exception to "man-made", he's not writing any fresh code that I can see. One day they'll design new basecodes and start with a clean sheet and a pencil.

eta: I don't even insist on the new base codes, really, but it would be good isolation if they did that.

[Nomad]

Our youth.

What else could go wrong ?

What the hell go for it.

[zinkyusa]

create flatulent microbes instead..

feed them lots of greasy chili:-2