Scientists are Ready to Create Mutants!
The plan will begin with Mycoplasma genitalium, a tiny organism that lives in the genital tracts of people and may cause or contribute to an inflammation of the urethra. All genetic material will be removed from the organism. Scientists will synthesize an artificial string of genetic material, resembling a naturally occurring chromosome, that they hope will contain the minimum number of M. genitalium genes needed to sustain life. The artificial chromosome will then be inserted in the hollowed-out cell, where it will be tested for its ability to survive and reproduce.
My issue with this is that if, for some reason, this “creating new life” thing gets out of control, do we really want it to be with something that could live in our urethras and inflame them?
