Synthetic Biology Took An Important Step

[Gregb]

 

THE science of synthetic biology took an important step forward this week with the announcement in Science, by a team from Jef Boeke’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, of the first completely synthetic yeast chromosome. This takes the field from the bacterial realm to that of creatures like man.

 

That fungi and people are closely related may not be obvious to the average human being. But biologically it is true, because both are eukaryotes, meaning that they have proper cell nuclei with several linear chromosomes in them, and also lots of other complex and well-defined cellular structures, called organelles. Bacteria, in contrast, are prokaryotes—meaning their DNA is arranged in small, circular chromosomes which float around in more or less organelleless cells.

 

This is really exciting. Each year brings us closer to creating real life.

 

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21599754-first-synthetic-chromosome-creature-complex-cells-designed

[Abe40]

I need to take this as a joke: is this the reason why our movies usually depict extra-terrestrial beings as slimy fungi-like creatures? When scientists eventually create life from fungi that resemble humans, I hope they will not be slimy too.   

[Turtle]

I need to take this as a joke: is this the reason why our movies usually depict extra-terrestrial beings as slimy fungi-like creatures? When scientists eventually create life from fungi that resemble humans, I hope they will not be slimy too.

No; you need to take topics on a science forum as serious. Please refrain from posting off-topic and/or with no reference or scientific merit.