J. Craig Venter has created what is being called 'artificial life', and this Channel 4 news report gives us a little insight into exactly what has been created, and the potential problems which may accompany this new technology. Venter and his team have managed to build a new organism, in a laboratory, by piecing strands of DNA into an exact pre-determined formation, and the organism managed to multiply it's cells, sparking the 1st human-made creature into existence. While this new synthetic living cell may be a very simplistic form of life, it does open up the door for further advancements in the field, and this could lead to all sorts of issues, particularly if this area of science fell into the wrong hands. |