Human
DNA: New Frontier For Hacking Creation
Imagine computer-designed viruses that cure disease,
new bacteria capable of synthesizing an unlimited fuel
supply, new organisms that wipe out entire populations
and bio-toxins that target world leaders. They sound
like devices restricted to feature-film script
writers, but it is possible to create all of these
today, using the latest advances in synthetic biology.
Just as the personal computer revolution brought
information technology from corporate data centers to
the masses, the biology revolution is personalizing
science. In 2000, scientists at a private company
called Celera announced that the company had raced
ahead of the U.S. government-led international effort
decoding the DNA of a human being. Using the latest
sequencing technology, plus the data available from
the Human Genome project, Celera scientists had
created a working draft of the genome.