Top scientists hold closed meeting to discuss building a human genome from scratch

[IDemo]

Over 130 scientists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and government officials from five continents gathered at Harvard this week for an “exploratory” meeting to discuss the topic of creating genomes from scratch — including, but not limited to, those of humans, said George Church, Harvard geneticist and co-organizer of the meeting.

The meeting was closed to the press, which drew the ire of prominent academics.

Synthesizing genomes involves building them from the ground up — chemically combining molecules to create DNA. Similar work by Craig Venter in 2010 created what was hailed as the first synthetic cell, a bacterium with a comparatively small genome.

The meeting was held Tuesday “to discuss the concept of an international project focused on large genome synthesis as the next chapter in our understanding of the blueprint of life,” according to a consensus statement from the organizers provided by Church.

https://www.statnews.com/2016/05/13/harvard-meeting-synthetic-genome/

[Orrex]

1. Dr. Malcolm could not be reached for comment.

[gordianot]

2. OMG

[cantbeserious]

3. Designer - Test Tube Babies - Here We Come - Welcome To The Brave New World - Of SuperHumans

eom

[elljay]

4. Inevitable

Building a human (or recreating an extinct species or creating a new one) is obvious and inevitable. The wealthy will pay to improve their progeny's genetics and for designer pets. Eventually, the same people who now live and compete through their children will start doing so pre-fertilization. Will they make a Pandora charm for "soccer-skill enhanced fetus"? This doesn't make it a good idea, btw, but we, as a society, lack the will or desire to place any meaningful restrictions on the practice. Consequences are for other people.

[proverbialwisdom]

5. More.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027836298