In a world first, Craig Venter, a maverick biologist and billionaire entrepreneur, has made a synthetic cell from scratch.
In future, bacterial ‘factories’ could be set up to manufacture artificial organisms designed for specific tasks such as medicines or producing clean biofuels.
The technology could also be harnessed to create environmentally friendly bugs capable of mopping up carbon dioxide or toxic waste.
Dr Venter, a 63-year-old Vietnam War veteran known for his showman tendencies, said last night: ‘We are entering a new era where we’re limited mostly by our imaginations.’
But the breakthrough, which took 15 years and £27.7million to achieve, opens an ethical Pandora’s box. Ethicists said he is ‘creaking open the most profound door in humanity’s history’ – with unparalleled risks.
This is massive news!
Why I have not seen news about it anywhere else baffles me…I guess its not that big of news when you think about it, its one man playing GOD!!!!
The possibilities are endless, you would be able to create Anti Cancer Cell’s and these little guys can swim around your body eating cancer cells and you could do this for all diseases that plague our planet. You have a really bad flu? Just take to Immune Booster Tablets it will create an artificial immune system in your body, kill the flu virus and allow you own immune system strengthen up in a manner of hours or minuets who knows, the possibilities are endless……
and that is where the problem lies … endless possibilities ….. Although with this sort of technology we can act like gods we are unfortunately not gods, as humans we are corruptible, deceitful and have our own agendas. This sort of technology can cause mass destruction and elimination of life. An Artificial life form can be created to eradicate a particular species of plant or animal ….. or particular race of HUMANS!
All in all I think is is an incredible piece of technology and could advance the human race to incredible places, but is it worth the risk if it falls into the wrong hands?
Let me know what you think…..
