[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by jammies

I fail to see the applicability of this research to macro-world problem-solving; it would be far easier to modify existing bacteria to, for example, "eat toxic waste" as is mentioned in the article. If they are basing these creations on DNA, as it says they are, then taking lifeforms already in existence and just editing their DNA (as is already being done) can get you to the same place as building new critters from the ground up, without all the associated problems with creating your own cell membrane and the like.

However, as basic research this sounds very useful - creating life using DNA could lead to creating non-DNA based, entirely alien life after the principles are understood. That sounds like something that actually opens up new possibilities for biotechnology that we can't even conceive of today.

I think you missed a part of the article:

In Gainesville, Fla., Steve Benner, a biological chemist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, is attacking that problem by going outside natural genetics. Normal DNA consists of four bases — adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (known as A,C,G,T) — molecules that spell out the genetic code in pairs. Benner is trying to add eight new bases to the genetic alphabet.

That is not just editing DNA, that is creating something completely new and different.