Humans have been using what they know about the biological world to make stuff for centuries—from beer to antibiotics. But, what if you could manipulate that world at a very basic, genetic level to make something you needed? Programming a cell to produce a drug, generate energy, or attack a pathogen in the body seems like the stuff of science fiction, but that’s what the emerging field of synthetic biology promises.
For the past seven years, an international team of researchers has been figuring out how to construct a yeast chromosome from the ground up. Now, they’ve successfully built one and integrated it into a living yeast cell. Their work, published today in Science, marks a significant advance in the field of synthetic biology—and cautious step toward the ability to create designer genomes for plants and animals.
Read the full, original article: Scientists Build a Yeast Chromosome From Scratch. Next Up? Designer Genomes
