Scientists report a significant step toward altering the fundamental alphabet of life – creating an organism with an expanded artificial genetic code in its DNA. [s]The New York Times[/s] that this might lead to organisms that can make medicines or industrial products that cells with only the natural genetic code cannot. Scientists at the [b]Scripps Research Institute[/b] have formed a company to try to use the technique to develop new antibiotics, vaccines and other products, though a lot more work needs to be done before this is practical. But the research could intensify calls for greater regulation of the budding field known as synthetic biology, which involves the creation of biological systems intended for specific purposes.
[link url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/business/researchers-report-breakthrough-in-creating-artificial-genetic-code.html?emc=edit_th_20140508&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=42505380&_r=0]Full report in The New York Times[/link]
[link url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13314.html]Nature preview[/link]