Since
Mary Shelley first dreamed up Frankenstein’s monster in the early 19th century, and perhaps long before, scientists have wondered if it would be possible
to create artificial life. It’s been 50 years since ordinary chemicals were
first used in the lab to create artificial DNA. Now we are on the brink of the
ability of scientists to create what can be legitimately called “artificial
life forms” in the lab.
According
to The Washington Post,1 researchers in Maryland recently built the first artificial chromosome, the
genetic instructions that allow an organism to grow and reproduce. Soon those
scientists will be able to make chromosomes for life forms that are entirely
new.
This
new field of so-called “synthetic biology” is being powered by high-tech
synthesizers that can whip up new sequences of DNA in minutes rather than
months. This makes possible the creation of cells that could produce new drugs
or even a substitute for gasoline. In fact, Maryland-based Synthetic
Genomics, headed by Craig Venter, is working on making cells to produce
ethanol, hydrogen, and other fuels. Another company called Ls9, in San Carlos,
California, is reprogramming E. coli bacteria to make a substitute fuel that is
expected to sell for $1.25 a gallon.
With
trillions of dollars at stake, the question of who owns the rights to these and
other synthetic organisms is paramount. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
has recently received an avalanche of applications for new life forms.
There
is nothing that guarantees that the U.S. will continue to lead in this field.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham have created cell membranes in the lab, one of the keys to artificial life, from reprogrammed versions of
existing organisms. According to a report published in Angewandte Chemie
International Edition,2 they assembled long polymer chains to form the membrane. Cells made with that
membrane could have their first applications in targeted drug delivery systems,
where the membrane structure helps selectively target cancer cells or
bacteria.
As
explained in Scientific American,3 a big objective behind commercialization...
