J. Craig Venter - Future Biology

Thank you for posting this. I found it stimulating of the fact that they are trying to create a cell that might one day change problems of the human system. Problems such as HIV, Cancer, Leukemia. I do hope that is the path that they're try...ing to go on by creating these cells/organisms. Our future is in their hands, the scientists that are working so hard to create a matter that will simply cure and not kill the host after injection. But my worry and question is, how much change does the host go through after their initial DNA is changed? To change the makeup of the hosts internal numbers, what else is affected by this cell/organism? Again thank you for this, I've always wondered what they were doing after they've discovered what humanity is really made up of. Codes and numbers. How simple can you get?

I don't think they're looking at creating a synthetic life, but what makes up a life and how to make changes, if changes are needed, example: birth defects, blood disorders, cancer, etc.

Joy, they are doing both, researching what is the minimal amount of genes necessary to create a living cell -and- how to create new organisms using synthetic DNA designed in a computer. What makes the characteristics of an organism are the genes that control it and the internal and external environment embedded or surrounding it.