THE enfant terrible of genomics is at it again. First Craig Venter’s company Celera raced publicly funded researchers to sequence the human genome. Now his research institute is trying to patent a “minimal genome”, which could be used to make synthetic life forms.
The ETC Group, which is concerned about the societal and environmental implications of new technologies, fears that Venter will create a “Microbesoft” monopoly in the burgeoning area of synthetic biology – a supercharged form of biotechnology that aims to create living “machines” (Â鶹´«Ã½, 20 May 2006, p 43). The patent application has also annoyed biologists who…
