Word: venter
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...Craig Venter, the geneticist known for sequencing his own DNA and challenging the federal government in a race to map the human genome, recently joined Harvard’s Origins of Life Initiative as a visiting scholar...
...Venter's work is certainly exciting, but it is not the creation of life. It is the creation of a component of life. The genome does nothing unless it is inserted into a living cell. Richard Robertson, San Diego...
...Your article on Venter and biotechnology gave this old guy the willies. Does anyone remember the cautionary tale Frankenstein? We might have absolutely no control over the creature we create. If it harms us, would that be the inevitable end point of having eaten the fruit of knowledge? Jonathan McPhee, St. Petersburg, Florida...
Despite his intelligence and biotechnological success, J. Craig Venter might just be venturing into something beyond his control [Feb. 4]. His creation of a genome might not result simply in whimsical and interesting "zoos of man-made creatures" or "custom-designed pets." His grand biology experiment might alter the biosphere. It is extreme hubris to think that we can invent a new life-form and unleash it into the environment. Perhaps the question for scientists is not simply can we, but should...
...heck with creating new life-forms. Venter should channel his energies into constructing a chromosome for extant humans that would help us store critical life-enhancing information--like anniversaries, passwords, account balances and payment-due dates. That would truly benefit mankind...