Is artificial life on the way?
Pros and Cons of Artificial Genes and Synthetic Genomes
Synthetic DNA is now a reality. Recent news of the first synthetic life form has created controversy in the scientific and social communities. On one side, there is a new potential for genetic therapy and the potential to use synthetic genes to bring out traits in plants, bacteria, and animals that could be useful. On the other side, there is worry about a genetic menace, with hybridized life forms ending up in the wild, or genetic life forms that are hard to get rid of. Synthetic DNA and artificial life could be used to create vaccines, take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and create biofuels efficiently, and in doing so may present a scientific solution to real-world problems. Critics fear new kinds of biological weapons, or the potential for life forms with artifical genes to hybridize with regular life. There are philosophical and moral concerns. Does synthetic DNA behave any differently than standard DNA, since it seems to be able to replicate itself over generations and stay intact? Could it be used to cure diseases, or become a new kind of gene therapy? It will take years to find these things out.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: So far, synthetic DNA has only been used in experimental places, but the results are scientifically promising.