Craig Venter on Synthetic Life

Huffduffed by Clampants on June 7th, 2010

http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/05/craig-venter-on-synthetic-life

Scientist and entrepreneur Craig Venter made headlines in 2000 when he was one of the first to sequence the human genome.

Now, he’s announced another big step: the creation of synthetic life in a laboratory – a bacterium with a cooked-up, man-made genetic code.

The breakthrough could eventually lead to tailor-made organisms and big benefits in medicine, energy and beyond.

But what about the ethics – and the risks – of making life in a lab?

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  1. Does the Future Include Synthetic Life?

    J. Craig Venter is a biologist most known for his contributions, in 2001, of sequencing the first draft human genome and in 2007 for the first complete diploid human genome. In 2010 he and his team announced success in constructing the first synthetic bacterial cell. He is a founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) and founder and CEO of the company, Synthetic Genomics Inc (JCVI). His present work focuses on creating synthetic biological organisms and applications of this work, and discovering genetic diversity in the world’s oceans. Dr. Venter is the 2008 National Medal of Science and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Viking, 2007).

    http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_IAP000245

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  3. Science Weekly Extra podcast: Full-length press conference at which Craig Venter announced a synthetic life form | Science | guardian.co.uk

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