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May 21, 2010, 4:38 pm
Towards synthetic lifeDNA made in a laboratory has been put into bacterial cells, which grew to follow instructions from genes in the synthetic DNA.
Source:
news.bbc.co.uk
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What was discovered?
Synthetic DNA, which was made in a laboratory, was able to control the growth and reproduction of a bacterial cell that it was put into.
Even after replicating billions of times, each new bacterium formed contained a copy of the synthetic DNA, which continued to control the cell!
How?
DNA was made in a laboratory by copying the known DNA sequence of a certain species of bacterium.
When this synthetic DNA was put inside a host bacterial cell, it could perform just like the DNA of a normal, living bacterium. The host cell grew with characteristics just like the 'natural' one that the synthetic DNA was copied from!
Why is it important?
Being able to grow bacteria containing synthetic DNA will enable many different kinds of proteins to be made in large quantities using synthetic genes - these proteins could be developed as medicines or vaccines.
Bacteria which can help produce fuels, or clean up pollution, may also be developed using synthetic DNA.
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