First came the Human Genome Project, then came the field of synthetic biology.

(ROCHESTER, NY) When scientist J. Craig Venter and his team announced in 2010 that they had created the first cell controlled by a fully synthetic genome, it marked a turning point in how scientists think about life.

For the first time, DNA – the molecule that carries the instructions for life – had been written on a computer, assembled in a laboratory and used to control a living cell. The achievement suggested something profound: Life might not only be understood but designed.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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