Open source synthetic biology: problems and solutions.

In recent years, the scientific community has made some dramatic advances in the ability to chemically synthesize genomelength strands of DNA. These advances have coincided with a growing understanding of the functions of individual genes and gene networks. With the available knowledge of how whole genomes function, and the technical capability of synthesizing whole genomes, it will be possible to digitally design novel organisms to perform some desired function and then manifest that synthetic organism in the real world. The J. Craig Venter Institute took the first steps toward this goal by creating a synthetic organism controlled entirely by a chemically synthesized genome. This advance provided: a proof of principle for producing cells based on computerdesigned genome sequences. DNA sequencing of a cellular genome allows storage of the genetic instructions for life as a digital file . . . . [T]he approach [] developed [by the J. Craig Venter Institute] should be applicable to the synthesis and transplantation of more novel genomes as genome design processes. Although this ultimate goal of designing novel synthetic organisms using synthetic biology sounds like pure science fiction, it is entirely possible and would have an enormous impact on