This scaring event has happened sooner than predictable. Scientists have managed to synthesize 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome in a non-for profit lab in the US.

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute, made available results that describe the successful building of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell. The group synthesized the 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome. The synthetic cell is the evidence of standard that genomes can be designed in the computer, chemically made in the laboratory and transplanted into a recipient cell to produce a new self-replicating cell restricted only by the synthetic genome.

J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., founder and president, JCVI and senior author on the paper declared that for almost 15 years Ham Smith, Clyde Hutchison and the rest of their group have been working toward this publication and finally, the successful achievement of their work to construct a bacterial cell that is fully controlled by a synthetic genome. Also, they look forward to continued evaluation and dialogue about the significant applications of this work to make sure that it is used for the advantage of all.

According to Dr. Smith, with this first synthetic bacterial cell and the new tools and technologies they have developed to effectively complete that project and for the moment they have the means to divide the genetic instruction set of a bacterial cell to see and realize how it actually works.

To complete this final phase in the practically 15 year process to construct and boot up a synthetic cell, experts began with the precise, digitized genome of the bacterium mycoides.

According to Dr. Hutchison the most extraordinary thing about our synthetic cell is that its genome was considered in the computer and brought to life through chemical synthesis, without using any pieces of natural DNA. This concerned rising many new and helpful methods along the way. As well they have assembled an astonishing team of experts that have made that to be probable.