What madness creates artificial DNA?
The one that ignores what nature may
say
Think Mr Science of what could
befall
If what you do now rebounds on us
all
You may think Earth secrets are a
prize to take
But it's really a demon you
shouldn't awake
And though noble intent should not
be denied
What will it matter who is saved if
all life dies?
You think you are clever, but really
you're dumb
Nature after all, has seen so many
species succumb
All that we may create originates of
the Earth
And only she may determine its
eventual worth
So go ahead and meddle in the
codices of being
But if it all unravels its
extinction we'll be seeing
From the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26768445
Scientists have created the first synthetic chromosome for yeast
in a landmark for biological engineering. Previously synthetic DNA has been
designed and made for simpler organisms such as bacteria. As a form of life
whose cells contain a nucleus, yeast is related to plants and animals and
shares 2,000 genes with us. So the creation of the first of yeast's 16 chromosomes
has been hailed as "a massive deal" in the emerging science of
synthetic biology.
The genes in the original chromosome were replaced with synthetic
versions and the finished manmade chromosome was then successfully integrated
into a yeast cell. The new cell was then observed to reproduce, passing a key
test of viability. Yeast is a favoured target for this research because of its
well-established use in key industries such as brewing and baking and its
potential for future industrial applications.
One company in California has already used synthetic biology to
create a strain of yeast that can produce artemisinin, an ingredient for an
anti-malarial drug. The synthesis of chromosome III in yeast was undertaken by
an international team and the findings are published in the journal Science
(yeast chromosomes are normally designated by Roman numerals).
