Making synthetic life

Think of a living being, completely different in structural organization and behavior from any of the existing species on earth! You are imagining a monster, right? Actually, I am not indicating to such a creature to think about. Well, it's something about synthetic biology and creation of artificial life. If a single cell can be synthesized, why cannot be a multicellular being then? However, things are not so easy as they seem to be. Today, we will focus mainly on synthetic biology, what it has to offer for the benefit of mankind and a slice of artificial life.

Synthetic biology came to its modern phase with the work of J. Craig Venter. To start a life form, no matter how simple it is, you must have the blueprint, DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) in place that means inside the cell. At the initial stage of synthetic genomics and synthetic biology, some gene segments were being inserted in microorganisms and the effect of that insertion was observed through the expression of the proteins that are encoded by those gene segments. In 2003, the researchers of J. Craig Venter Institute created a synthetic version of the bacteriophage phiX 174. Later, in 2007, they were able to transform one species of bacteria to another by genome transplantation which is performed by taking the whole genetic material from one organism and inserting it into another one in place of the regular genetic material of the latter one. Very recently, the scientists of that institute have developed methods to synthesize and assemble the complete genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. This is, indeed, a breakthrough in synthetic biology as it gives a hint to succeed in creating artificial life forms just because the blueprint which is the genetic material can be made artificially! Although it is just copying something what really exists from before, it will encourage scientists to think about synthesizing genes having, may be, totally new functions. This dream is very rationale as synthetic biology takes into account the different disciplines of science including Biology, Chemistry and Engineering where engineering is being integrated into biological science and ultimately helping to make life models in the field called systems biotechnology or systems biological engineering.

The ultimate goals of synthetic biology include designing and building of engineered life forms that process information, modify chemicals, produce fuel, energy, food and maintain and enhance human health and environment we live in. To serve these purposes, artificial life forms can be useful. Artificial life is something that leads us to the domain of life-as-it-could-be from life-as-we-know-it. With all its possibilities, the ability of synthetic biology is thought to have a major effect in fifty years of time. Artificial microbes can be made targeted for serving specific purposes like producing gasoline or degrading many toxic chemicals. Moreover, synthetic biology has to offer new and improved diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, biosensors and many more.

Nevertheless, the creation of new life forms is not without its fear and/or limitations. There is a concern that artificial life may threat other existing life forms on earth including humans and can also be used as biological warfare. However, the first premonition is probably misplaced because life is so robust and has evolved so strongly over time; it is not so easy to be threatened by some artificial life forms. Again, the second threat of using it as a biological warfare can be prevented just by good will of the scientists and the mass people. At the end, it seems that intensive research on synthetic and systems biology will definitely work for the betterment of mankind.