麻豆传媒

THE code of life embodied in DNA has been artificially extended, potentially increasing by 256 the number of different building blocks that can be incorporated into proteins. By tinkering with the cell鈥檚 natural machinery, has found a way of making proteins with entirely new properties, opening up a future of exotic designer organisms (see 鈥淟ife鈥檚 code rewritten in four-letter words鈥�). This is a fundamental advance that could lead to new drugs, materials and energy sources. But tampering with life鈥檚 operating system will inevitably raise safety concerns 鈥� and it鈥檚 true that we have no way of predicting the fallout of this work. Synthetic biologists need to confront openly and honestly public fears that they are 鈥減laying God鈥�. If such deeply felt concerns go unanswered, the huge potential of this breakthrough could come to naught.