Longest Piece of Synthetic DNA Yet

January 25, 2008 | Source: ScientificAmerican.com

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute have crafted a bacterial genome from scratch, moving one step closer to creating entirely synthetic life forms–living cells designed and built by humans to carry out a diverse set of tasks ranging from manufacturing biofuels to sequestering carbon dioxide.

They pieced together the genes of Mycoplasma genitalium, the smallest free-living bacterium that can be grown in the laboratory.

The final step will involve inserting the synthetic genome into a cell and bringing it to life.