Dr Craig Venter and his team from the J. Craig Venter Institute have devised a new technique in which to create synthetic microorganisms by “smuggling an ‘alien’ genome into unwitting bacterial cells” (McGuninness 2009) The genome of Mycoplasma mycoides was assembled from quarter molecules by the transformation associated recombination cloning in yeast where it “...is the largest chemically synthesized molecule of defined structure of which we are aware” (Gibson et, al. 2008) This genome will is then being transplanted into a host cell
However, on transplantation the modified genome was destroyed by the recipient cell. Consequently, Craig Venters’ team devised a method that deactivates the enzymes capabilities of recognising and destroying the foreign DNA. The advantage of synthetic DNA is that it allows even more radical changes than an engineered genome, in which “Venter's quest for synthetic life ultimately aims to create purpose-built organisms that can carry out specific roles, such as producing bio-fuels or even making hydrogen”( McGuinness 2009): where avoiding foreign recognition and destruction will be central to the process.
Reference List
Gibson, GG, Benders, GA, Andrews-Pfannkoch, Denisova EA, Baden-Tillson, H, Jayshre Zaveri & Venter, CJ 2008, ‘Complete Chemical Synthesis, Assembly, and Cloning of a Mycoplasma genitalium Genome’, Science, vol. 319, no. 5867, pp. 1215-1220, viewed 21 August 2009, http://www.sciencemag.org.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/
McGuinness, L 2009, ‘Genome Smuggling is step towards synthetic lfe’, New Scientist, 20 August, viewed 21 August 2009, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17656-genome-smuggling-is-step-towards-synthetic-life.html
J. Craig Venter Instistute 2009, ’Chemical synthesis of the mycoplasma gentalium genome’ J. Craig Venter Institute, viewed 21 August 2009, http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/chemical-synthesis-of-the-mycoplasma-genitalium-genome/overview/
