Artificial Cells

Are We Playing The Role Of God?:
The First Artificial Cell

Introduction:

The aim of this essay is to give arguments about the creation of the first artificial cell. Is it good for humanity and scientific development? Or is it going to lead us to a massive destruction by having a wrong concept of power by trying to act like god by altering nature? The arguments will be both positives andnegatives to get to a final conclusion of the topic giving and easier way to judge this modern creation.

The first artificial cell was created in 2010 and it was believed that it would be an important factor in world development. However, it is important to see beyond this creation and see if it is being beneficial or chaotic. Comparing the positives and negatives of this creation is importantbecause this has an influence in the world in different aspects which will be explained later and it is important to analyze if we are acting with fair judgment in this revolutionary invention or if the obsession of power will lead us to think that we are making a better world when we are not.

Below you will find a detailed discussion on how was created this cell and how can this cell be used ina positive way in different fields and how it is actually being used until this moment. The way impact in which it can affect various fields will be sorted out as well in order to get a deeper understanding of the topic. There is also an explanation on the creation of this artificial cell having any drawback. Finally I will give a detailed recount of my opinion if this creation is making us abusepower by acting like a god creating new forms of living organisms.

Body:

May 20, 2010 Dr. Craig Venter led a group of scientist on creating the first artificial cell making up a bacterium’s “genetic software” and inserting it into a host cell. For this they identified the DNA and they copy it in to a computer and then they buy fragments of DNA in order to mix them in a chemical formula. Thisresults as a chromosome which is built chemically by using the DNA identified in the computer and the fragments that they bought and this divides by mitosis into two daughter cells, one with the natural DNA and the other with the artificial one with chemicals in the petri dish which kills the natural one and the other one (artificial one) keeps dividing by mitosis. (See Annex A)

Dr. Venter andhis colleagues hope eventually to design and build new bacteria that will perform useful functions by using this artificial method. They believe that this revolutionary invention can help to build a new industrial revolution by producing these cells in order to wean off oil. In industrial production this cells could be influential in reversing the damages of the gases released by oil such as thegreen house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, etc. With this said, we can see that this creation can lead to improve the industrial and environmental applications by amplifying the field with this new technology. Actually in the environmental field, it is believed that synthetic biology could lead to “green chemistry”. According to the medical field, these cells can produce large quantities ofproteins to treat harmful diseases and maybe is possible that this new creation can be the possible cure for cancer. It is stated that they have intentions on using this cells to contribute hugely to a much more sustainable production of vaccines and new biofuels helping as well the environmental field. Until this moment they are working on those plans to put them in action in a near future bymaking experiments to see if they work properly.

In the other hand, critics say that the potential benefits of synthetic organisms have been overstated. Some scientists state that releasing a new organism in to the environment will be more harmful because releasing them in to the air in pollution areas with the aim of stopping pollution will actually make them releasing a new way of damaging the...