Reprogrammable cell computer model (Via University of Nottingham)
Is it playing god or making the right tool for the job?
The University of Nottingham (UN) is attempting to create "re-programmable cells" in hopes of changing the synthetic biology industry. With each necessary task, a synthetic life-form is created. These cells are altered and coaxed into working outside its own nature. An example being the cold-water hydrocarbon-eating bacteria called Corexit from BP and Exxon used in the Deppwater Horizon oil spill.
In many cases the cells will be created and not perform the function for which is was made. The cells are scrapped, and the process has to start over. With UN's efforts, computer modeling will be accurate enough to predict the mechanics of each cell. The re-programmable aspect of their goal is what will save the industry the most time and money. The research team at UN is starting with programming and re-programming E. coli bacteria.
UN Computer Science Professor Natalio Krasnoger explained the project's mission, "We are looking at creating a cell’s equivalent to a computer operating system in such a way that a given group of cells could be seamlessly re-programmed to perform any function without needing to modifying its hardware... If we succeed with this audacious project, in five years time, we will be programming bacterial cells in the computer and compiling and storing its program into these new cells so they can readily execute them."
Their efforts do not end at just a single cell. Although it will be more difficult by admission of the team, another focus of the initiative is creating larger organisms from the re-programmable cells. Not only will this possibly lead to the forming of a new life form, but will also be used to modify the behavior of existing organisms. To obfuscate possibilities, the UN team stated that this new tech could be used to clean up environmental disasters, deliver medications best to the individual, And reduce medication side-effects.
The project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between several different universities with a £1 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Biologists, Chemists, and Computer Scientists gather from UN as well as the University of Edinburgh in the UK; Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, New York University, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of California, San Francisco in the US; Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel; and the Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia in Spain.
It is easy to jump to the conclusion that any new technology will be used in nefarious ways. Just look at the early opposition to stem-cell research. I am sure the cell operating system will do nothing but benefit the world.
Cabe
Some claim BP and Exxon's Corexit has turned from eating oil to eating human skin. aka- Gulf Blue Plague. More conjecture than factual news.
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