Fully synthetic
The creator of the first artificial genome spoke about the risks
A Swiss bioengineer, one of the creators of the world's first computer genome, has published an article on the website of the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich, in which he warns about the risks associated with the creation of artificial organisms.
All organisms on our planet store the molecular plan of life encoded in the genome. The digital revolution in biology, due to the development of the DNA sequencing method, allows scientists to read the genomes of microbes and multicellular organisms quite easily, getting closer to understanding how DNA programs living systems.
Today, DNA sequences of more than 200,000 microbial genomes are stored in digital genome databases. Using this incredible treasure trove of molecular building blocks, bioengineers learned how to write genome codes on a computer, create long DNA molecules using chemical synthesis, and "breed" artificially created microbes in the laboratory.
Bit Kristen, professor of experimental systems biology at the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich, together with his colleagues uses an algorithm for creating a digital genome in combination with large-scale chemical synthesis of DNA for the physical reproduction of artificial genomes at the molecular level.
The laboratory has developed a systematic approach to determining the main genes that serve as genetic parts of artificial microbial genomes being developed for sustainable chemistry, medicine and agriculture.
In 2019, researchers published an article in the journal PNAS on the creation of the world's first fully computer genome of Caulobacter ethensis-2.0 (Venetz et al., Chemical synthesis rewriting of a bacterial genome to achieve design flexibility and biological functionality).
Using a natural freshwater bacterium as a starting point, the researchers calculated the ideal DNA sequence for chemical production and construction of a minimized genome consisting exclusively of basic functions. During the design process, more than one-sixth of the 800,000 DNA letters in the artificial genome were replaced, and the entire genome was obtained in the form of a large circular DNA molecule.
While the living cell does not yet exist, the functions of the genes have been tested throughout the genome design. In these experiments, the researchers found that approximately 580 of the 680 artificial genes were functional, demonstrating the promise of an approach to creating designer genomes.
Now, according to the scientist, it is necessary to open a broad public discussion not only of the benefits for industry and medicine, but also of the risks associated with the creation of artificial organisms. First of all, says Bit Kristen, it is necessary to discuss the purposes for which this technology can be used, and how to prevent the possibility of abuse.
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