Moving a step closer to making cells from scratch, a team at the J. Craig Venter Institute took all of the genes from one species of bacteria, Mycoplasma mycoides, and transferred them into another, Mycoplasma capricolum.

The result: The genes from the mycoides took over, changing the cells from one species to another simply by moving around DNA.

Researchers hope that custom-engineered cells could be useful in producing new types of medicines, including bacteria designed to help the body attack disease, or to produce biofuels that could help ease the world’s reliance on oil.