Craig Venter creates synthetic life form

[Malevolence 6]

Craig Venter creates synthetic life form

 

Craig Venter and his team have built the genome of a bacterium from scratch and incorporated it into a cell to make what they call the world's first synthetic life form

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/may...hetic-life-form

 

We have created a new life from nothing, this is epic science stuff!

[Nmenth 291]

We have created a new life from nothing

Not yet, it's only partly synthetic. It's more like a very tiny cyborg that they hope will be able to replicate more cyborgs.

 

Might be interesting to see where this goes though.

 

[sith_wampa 6]

Badass. Time to take over the world.

 

Very interesting indeed.

[Luk3us 63]

Hmm, this is kind old I thought someone made a thread on this already, maybe it was another forum.

 

Anyway, yes for far to long now we have strived to allow machines to take over the world. Now finally we are striving towards letting clones take over the world!

[Nmenth 291]

Now finally we are striving towards letting clones take over the world!

It's not a clone though, the genome is synthetic. 'Mutant' would be closer, but still inaccurate. It's a bacterial cyborg.

[Inferno 22]

It's not a clone though, the genome is synthetic. 'Mutant' would be closer, but still inaccurate. It's a bacterial cyborg.

Though it's not cybernetic either. Semi-synthetic organism would suit better.

[dbjs2009 25]

Why don't they do something useful for the mankind like Medecines or Solutions for cancer, We have so many problems these days..

[The empror 0]

The scientist is explaining about his research form his bedroom maybe all the work has been done in his bathroom

[Luk3us 63]

It's not a clone though, the genome is synthetic. 'Mutant' would be closer, but still inaccurate. It's a bacterial cyborg.

 

Genetic freak of nature then. THEY ARE COMING! :o

[Mighty BOB! 5]

Why don't they do something useful for the mankind like Medecines or Solutions for cancer, We have so many problems these days..

That sort of IS what they're doing. They want to be able to use synthetic organisms to experiment with, say, bacteria that can manufacture specific molecules, such as the molecules for a vaccine. Or you know how people are trying to make biofuels with algae? Make a synthetic algae that won't die when it is in an environment of fuel.

[Inferno 22]

Why don't they do something useful for the mankind like Medecines or Solutions for cancer, We have so many problems these days..

Because this is important for the further existence of the entire human race, while medicine is for saving a select group of people.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

Interesting article, but I don't think there's a chance to make a life form out of Tiberium.

[Nmenth 291]

Though it's not cybernetic either. Semi-synthetic organism would suit better.

Cyborgs are semi-synthetic. Of course the definition of what exactly a cyborg is isn't very clear.

 

Cyborgs are typically portrayed as being metallic in sci-fi, but I think we all could agree if their enhancements were plastic, that would make them no less cyborgs.

Plastic is a synthetic material made out of chemicals.

The Mycoplasma Laboratorium's genome is a synthetic material made out of chemicals.

Cyborg means cybernetic organism, although most often assumed human, it can be any organic lifeform.

Cyborgs are a synthesis of organic and synthetic parts.

 

Thus, it would seem to me, Mycoplasma Laboratorium is a tiny bacterial cyborg.

[Inferno 22]

I define "Cyborg" slightly different. See, I believe the sythenthic should have some sort of a controlling function in the organic organism, as a pacemaker would be a cybernetic part in a human.

Arguably, the genome is the controlling part of the bacterium, but I still wouldn't define it as cybernetic.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

uh, this cannot be a cyborg as a cyborg requires a metallic endoskeleton. I'm fairly certain this synthesized genome has no metallic components in play. It's a synthetic life form by definition. It represents nothing, and does meet qualifications to be classed as anything else.

[Nmenth 291]

uh, this cannot be a cyborg as a cyborg requires a metallic endoskeleton.

Like I said, the exact definition of cyborg is rather fuzzy. The metallic endoskeleton is only one of the accepted definitions.

 

It's a synthetic life form by definition.

Semi-synthetic, only the genome was synthesized, the rest of the er... 'thing' is natural.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

I'd still consider it fully synthetic because you needed the genome, and without it, it would be nothing. As such, synthetic.

 

Cyborg is pretty solid, you see. It's organic material covering an endoskeleton (IE; terminators). You might be thinking along the lines of an android, which is almost entirely synthetic life but it has to act like a human.

[Nmenth 291]

I'd still consider it fully synthetic because you needed the genome, and without it, it would be nothing. As such, synthetic.

It wouldn't be nothing, it would be a Mycoplasma Capricolum cell with its natural genome removed. As such, semi-synthetic.

 

Cyborg is pretty solid, you see. It's organic material covering an endoskeleton (IE; terminators).

Again, the exact definition of cyborg is not clear... It has changed over time, even if the guy that invented it intended it to mean an organic material covering a metal endoskeleton.

 

You might be thinking along the lines of an android, which is almost entirely synthetic life but it has to act like a human.

Since it doesn't look like a human, Mycoplasma Laboratorium isn't even remotely an android.