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Scientists Meet Secretly To Discuss Creating A Synthetic Human Genome
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Creating a human out of chemicals in a laboratory may sound like something from a horror movie, but it is an idea that some scientists are exploring, quietly behind closed doors.
Earlier this week, approximately 150 medical researchers, lawyers, and entrepreneurs met in secret at Harvard Medical School to discuss the possibility of creating an entirely synthetic human genome.
The invitation-only meeting was held in Boston on Tuesday The New York Times reports and attendees were told not to contact the media about it:
Scientists are now contemplating the fabrication of a human genome, meaning they would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes.
The prospect is spurring both intrigue and concern in the life sciences community because it might be possible, such as through cloning, to use a synthetic genome to create human beings without biological parents.
While the project is still in the idea phase, and also involves efforts to improve DNA synthesis in general, it was discussed at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The nearly 150 attendees were told not to contact the news media or to post on Twitter during the meeting.
Organizers said the project could have a big scientific payoff and would be a follow-up to the original Human Genome Project, which was aimed at reading the sequence of the three billion chemical letters in the DNA blueprint of human life. The new project, by contrast, would involve not reading, but rather writing the human genome — synthesizing all three billion units from chemicals.
Source: http://truthisscary.com/2016/05/scientists-meet-secretly-to-discuss-creating-a-synthetic-human-genome/
