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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)
(Score: 1) by anubi on Monday March 13 2017, @05:06AM (4 children)
Right now, yeast is very helpful in mass production of ethanol.
Imagine being able to code it to produce something else. You name it.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13 2017, @05:28AM (2 children)
LSD
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13 2017, @05:50AM (1 child)
I thought LSD was more closely related to a mold, like ergot?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13 2017, @10:54AM
Ethanol contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. LSD contains those and nitrogen. Yeast better get to work.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13 2017, @04:39PM
There's already been work on using yeast to produce opioids and their precursors. IIRC some of the research was from Stanford or UC Berkeley and there was discussions of whether or not to suppress some of the findings due to drug abuse concerns.