Potential Beneficial Applications Of The Newly Created

“SYNTHETIC CELLS”

Dr. C. C. Lin
Biotechnology Consultant

24 May 2010

The recent historic breakthrough of putting synthetic and well defined DNA genomes into a bacterial cell was reported by a team of biotechnologists from The J. Craig Venter Institute headed by the world renown leading experts in the field Drs. Craig Venter, Clyde Hutchison and Nobel prize winner Hamilton Smith in San Diego, California and Rockville, Maryland, USA (Wen Wei Po, 22, May 2010, page A1 [in Chinese] and the original technical scientific report published online on 20, May 2010 in: www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/science.1190719). Consequently, a “synthetic cell” capable of continuous self-replication with well defined genetic functions controlled by a synthetic chromosome has been created for the first time. Such innovative accomplishment was achieved at an estimated cost of about US$40 million and devoted effort of a team of 20 scientists over a period of 10 years.

The current major potential beneficial applications of this invention to humankind are:

(1) To create an ideal synthetic microorganism with the appropriately customized genomes to produce pharmaceuticals to treat diseases which are currently incurable or difficult to treat.

(2) To create a synthetic microorganism containing complete groups of genes to produce “green” biofuel from waste or inexpensive carbon sources such as carbon dioxide and crude plant-based cellulose economically.

(3) To create a synthetic microorganism with the complement of genomes to remove environmental pollutants from nature such as petroleum-based oil from nature (water and land) efficiently.

Can this new invention be misused by potential bioterrorist to terrorize the world?

The current answer is: It would be highly unlikely as the techniques invented by Dr. Venter’s team are very difficult to use by any potential bioterrorists not skillful in the art without proper laboratory setup and reagents as well as it is very expensive to do so.

Is this new breakthrough in biotechnology equivalent to the act of “god” (in the term of religion)?

The answer is a definite NO. Dr. Venter’s team of scientists did not create life from nothing. They just mimicked life in nature scientifically at the tiny well-controlled laboratory scale. It is simply the historic progress of human civilization as well as advancements of science and technology without which humankind would not be able to cure many of the common diseases such as cancer etc. Dr. Venter’s team conducted their work under the current rules of scientific ethics and the laws of the land.

Although Dr. Venter’s team successfully created the first “synthetic cell”, it would still take a lot more years of dedicated research and development work to create appropriately customized genomes and make it work effectively inside the “synthetic cell” in order to fully realize any of the above potential benefits to humankind. However, it is quite clear that Dr. Venter’s team of scientific experts will continue to work very diligently in order to achieve their objectives. It is truly a major achievement in the field of contemporary biotechnology at the monumental and pioneering scale.

Remarks from Editor:

The author, Dr. C. C. Lin completed his primary and secondary education in Hong Kong and moved to the US for his undergraduate and graduate training. Dr. Lin earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology from Indiana University, USA in 1978. Currently based in San Diego, California, USA, Dr. Lin has more than 30 years of working experience in the field of biotechnology initially at the US-based Merck & Company (a leading pharmaceutical company internationally known as Merck, Sharp & Dohme [MSD]) and subsequently as a senior biotechnology consultant to many international biotechnology companies. Dr. Lin is also a Visiting Professor of Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China.