Is This The Beginnings of Artificial Life?

Scientists in America have found a way to replicate a bacterium's 582,970 base pair genome, which is the largest man-made DNA structure ever made. This opens up the possibility to produce fuel from these "man-made" bacteria.

Scientists say that these synthetic versions of micro-organisms, made from chemically synthesized DNA blocks that have been woven together, can be designed to produce hydrogen or absorb carbon dioxide in the air. The J Craig Venter Institute says that there is one final step to creating a fully synthetic organism: to create a living bacterial cell based completely on the synthetic genome. Making this genome was a huge challenge and the scientists consider it to be an enormous accomplishment towards making the creation of biofuels possible.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95219.php