4 Synthetic Biologists, Lab the Place 2 Procreate
Nov 16, 2011 13:55:47 GMT -5
Post by shann0 on Nov 16, 2011 13:55:47 GMT -5
www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/11/14/for-synthetic-biologists-the-lab-is-the-place-to-procreate/
For Synthetic Biologists, the Lab is the Place to Procreate
A vasectomy some 20 years ago was the path to a career in life sciences for Singularity University bioinformatics and biotechnology co-chair Andrew Hessel. But synthetic biology will be his route to procreation.
Hessel, who spoke about his 180-degree shift in perspective at Techonomy 2011 this week, calls the emerging field of synthetic biology “one of the most powerful technologies in the world,” and predicts that it will render the task of engineering life as straightforward as programming software, or creating a vaccine as simple as Tweeting.
Hessel describes synthetic biology as computer-assisted genetic design that goes “from an idea to printing DNA to ultimately booting DNA.” The explosive growth of the field, in which pioneers are already making viruses and engineering single cells, will lead in short time to the ability to engineer every plant and animal, including humans, he says.
“We’re going to make synthetic human genomes and edit them, and we’re going to end up with IVF technologies that can boot them. It will make cloning look organic, and the ways we have babies today quaint.” For Hessel, who put off parenthood so many years ago, now’s the time—and the lab is the place—to procreate.
For Synthetic Biologists, the Lab is the Place to Procreate
A vasectomy some 20 years ago was the path to a career in life sciences for Singularity University bioinformatics and biotechnology co-chair Andrew Hessel. But synthetic biology will be his route to procreation.
Hessel, who spoke about his 180-degree shift in perspective at Techonomy 2011 this week, calls the emerging field of synthetic biology “one of the most powerful technologies in the world,” and predicts that it will render the task of engineering life as straightforward as programming software, or creating a vaccine as simple as Tweeting.
Hessel describes synthetic biology as computer-assisted genetic design that goes “from an idea to printing DNA to ultimately booting DNA.” The explosive growth of the field, in which pioneers are already making viruses and engineering single cells, will lead in short time to the ability to engineer every plant and animal, including humans, he says.
“We’re going to make synthetic human genomes and edit them, and we’re going to end up with IVF technologies that can boot them. It will make cloning look organic, and the ways we have babies today quaint.” For Hessel, who put off parenthood so many years ago, now’s the time—and the lab is the place—to procreate.