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takyon writes:

A team of scientists has published seven papers describing the design and ongoing creation process for a completely synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome:

Scientists have taken another important step toward creating different types of synthetic life in the laboratory. An international research consortium reports Thursday that it has figured out an efficient method for synthesizing a substantial part of the genetic code of yeast. "We are absolutely thrilled," says Jef Boeke, a geneticist at New York University School of Medicine, who is leading the project. "This is a significant step toward our goal."

The milestone is the latest development in the intensifying quest to create living, complex organisms from scratch in the lab. This group previously reported it had completely synthesized one of yeast's 16 chromosomes, which are the molecular structures that carry all of an organism's genes.

1. Design of a synthetic yeast genome (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4557) (DX)

2. Deep functional analysis of synII, a 770-kilobase synthetic yeast chromosome (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4791) (DX)

3. "Perfect" designer chromosome V and behavior of a ring derivative (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4704) (DX)

4. Synthesis, debugging, and effects of synthetic chromosome consolidation: synVI and beyond (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4831) (DX)

5. Bug mapping and fitness testing of chemically synthesized chromosome X (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4706) (DX)

6. Engineering the ribosomal DNA in a megabase synthetic chromosome (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3981) (DX)

7. 3D organization of synthetic and scrambled chromosomes (open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4597) (DX)

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