PLAYING GOD?
SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCE PLANS TO BUILD SYNTHETIC HUMAN DNA
Manipulating the fundamental building blocks of life is one of science`s biggest ethical
debates, and tensions are about to flare up once again as scientists have revealed a controversial
and rather ambitious plan to write the human genome from scratch.
They want to synthesize DNA and then put it into mammals, with human cells perhaps being
only four or five years away.
SCIENTISTS WANT TO WRITE HUMAN GENOME FROM SCRATCH
Almost 200 genetic researchers along with researchers in bioengineering will be heading
to New York next week to a meeting that will discuss the stages to follow of what has been
called the Genome Project-write, also known as GP-write.
This is a venture costing US$100 million to engineer, research and test a living system
of model organisms, which are said to include human genome.
THE NEW PROJECT TAKES UP WHERE THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT ENDED
The new project is said to be the follow-up to the Human Genome Project which reached
an end in 2003 following research that spanned over 13 years and which mapped out the human
genetic code.
The new project is said to be the next logical step forward so that scientists can learn
how to synthesize animal, plant and human DNA cost-effectively.
The GP-write coordinator Nancy J. Kelly said that HGP had allowed scientists to read the
genome, however, at the moment it isn�t completely understood.
The scientists involved want to portray the project as being an international collaboration
that has been designed so that scientists can further their understanding of genome
science.
The project brought about a lot of controversy during the first meeting, a year ago, which
had been conducted in secret with only a hand-selected group of experts invited to talk behind closed
doors.
DETAILS OF THE PROJECT REVEALED IN PAPER Since that time researchers have become more candid
and have announced the details of the new project in a paper along with releasing a
white paper which gives the outline of the timeline and goals.
Jef Boeke, biochemist, and geneticist is one of the leading scientists on GP-write and
he said that the approach has been to consult with the scientific community to steer and
frame the research as it develops.
He went on to say that the plan was not to start off with human genome; there is a four
to five year period during which there is lots of time to talk about the wisdom of it,
if the resources should be put into that direction or if another should be taken.
He said that whenever it�s human genome people will have an opinion and they will
speak out and want their voice to be heard and the scientists want to know what they
have to say about the matter.
Of course, while conversations may be ongoing, the science is continuing to develop.
Boeke gave details about a project that is related which he is working on.
In the project he is working with hundreds of scientists all working together to try
to synthesize artificial yeast genome, this project is expected to be completed by the
end of 2017.
While there is a big difference between being able to synthesize the DNA of yeast and the
creation of human DNA from the drawing board, the overall goal remains the same, to find
out how to synthesis comparatively simple genetic code before then moving on to the
final goal.
Boeke said that in the end, a synthetic genome is just a new engine for allowing learning
of new information.
GP-write is the parent project encompassing the core area of Human Genome Project-write,
with a focus on human genome synthesis, either in whole or in part.
COST OF ENGINEERING GENOMES NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT DOWN Along with synthesizing animal, plant
and human DNA, the project`s goal is to bring down the cost of engineering genomes.
At the moment it is said to cost around 10 US cents just to synthesize a base pair of
nucleobase molecules making up the DNA.
When you take into account that human beings have 3 billion pairs, it is expensive.
The scientists hope to bring down the cost by over 1,000-fold in 10 years.
If the costs can be brought down and expenses loved for synthesizing DNA, it may unlock
many kinds of potential medical treatments, which may be able to target cancer or genetic
diseases, which may help the body in better accepting organ transplants, along with boosting
learning about gaining immunity to viruses.
Before this happens, the organizers of GP-write will have to raise around US$100 million in
funds, a topic which is going to be discussed in another meeting.
It is exciting, but there is sure to be a lot more controversy as the project goes ahead.
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