Backgrounder: Patent J. Craig Venter Institute on the first species of the world completely synthesized in the laboratory. June 7, 2007
www.etcgroup.org
31 May 2007, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office United States (U.S. PTO for its acronym in English) quietly published a memorable patent application marks a watershed in the evolution as we know it. The patent application number 20070122826, entitled "Minimal bacterial genome" (minimum bacterial genome), describes the laboratory creation of the first fully synthetic organism, a new bacterium whose genetic information came from chemically synthesized DNA.
[i]
claim exclusive ownership "an organism that can grow and replicate" made with a set of essential genes that also are claimed in the application. The existence of this application patent does not mean that the synthetic organism was already in office when arrangements were made (October 12, 2006), but applicants have sufficient confidence in their process to claim exclusive ownership of it, publicly and legally. The beneficiary of the patent would be the scientific institute based in the United States led the genomics mogul, J. Craig Venter. The Venter Institute also filed international patent application before the World Intellectual Property Organization (number WO2007047148, published April 27, 2007). The ETC Group, an international civil society based in Canada, will appeal this patent.
What is a synthetic organism?
A synthetic organism ("no") is a product of what we call "extreme genetic engineering." Synthetic organisms are different genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are naturally occurring organisms to which they inserted pieces of DNA of other organisms naturally exist (a section of DNA from a soil bacterium that is inserted into the corn, for example). Synthetic organisms are not substituting a few ingredients from the recipe of life, but making the ingredients are derived from scratch in a laboratory and making them combinations never seen. If researchers at the Venter Institute have produced the first living organism, completely synthetic, as described in his patent application, will be the first entirely human-made species in history. In the patent application, this synthetic organism called Mycoplasma laboratorium ". Following the tradition of naming them to the unprecedented genetic creations (eg Dolly the cloned sheep), the ETC Group dubbed "Synthia" to this laboratory creation.
Practitioners synthesized synthetic biology and whole viruses that work, including a deadly flu virus and polio virus (the virus not considered living organisms because they need a host to reproduce).
How did you feel?
The first time Craig Venter announced publicly its plan to build artificial life forms was in 2002.
[ii]
What Synthia going to use? Venter and his colleagues described their synthetic organism as a basic platform or "chassis" to build other agencies with useful applications industry, to serve as genetic equivalent of a computer operating system like Microsoft Windows. In theory, adding synthetic DNA cassettes programmed functions, the bacterium could be instructed to produce plastics, drugs, fuel or even biological weapons. The application of the patent claim on a specific organism that can produce hydrogen or ethanol for industrial purposes. In a recent interview in Newsweek, Venter boasted, "if we could an organism that produced fuel, could be the first value of billions or trillions of dollars. Definitely patent that whole process. "
[iii] In 2005, Venter founded Synthetic Genomics, Inc. to commercialize synthetic microbes that have applications in energy, agriculture and remediation of climate change issues.
What this patent application claims? U.S. patent application number 20070122826 claims exclusive monopoly on:
- a set of genes that constitute a "minimal bacterial genome."
- The synthetic organism composed of those genes.
- Any version of the body that can make ethanol or hydrogen.
- Any method of production hydrogen, ethanol or use the agency. - A scientific method to test the function of other genes by inserting synthetic genes to an organism. - A digital version of the genome of the organism. - A set of nonessential genes. The patent claim ownership of a synthetic organism which lacks certain genes that the inventor has identified as "non-essential." The scope and fundamental nature of the claims in this patent application indicates that the sales companies are positioning themselves to become the Microsoft of synthetic biology, placing key technologies in this field under monopoly control.
"This opens the way for plants, animals and people briefly?
In theory, yes. In 2004, Craig Venter predicted that "the cells and life forms of genetic engineering products are relatively common in a decade."
[iv]
According to Drew Endy, who works in synthetic biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): "There are no technical barriers to synthesize plants and animals, it will happen as soon as someone pays for it." [v] In a recent interview (November 2006), Endy predicted to be possible to synthesize an entire human genome in a decade.
[vi]
Craig Venter is known for having starred in several break points in the history of commercial genomics. In 1996 he was the first sequence (decode) a bacterial genome. Five years later he led the commercial race to decode the entire human genome. If society does not control, it seems plausible that the creation of synthetic organisms from scratch progress at a similar pace. How to control and regulate synthetic bodies? Synthetic biology is being developed without proper societal debate concerning socio-economic implications, safety, health, environment and human rights. Venter and his colleagues are stepping up the science of artificial life long before the company has had the opportunity to discuss and assess their implications. A concern of environmentalists is that synthetic microbes have unforeseen impacts if released intentionally - or unintentionally. Security experts worry that synthetic biology now enable the rapid design and production of biological warfare weapons that were previously inaccessible. In 2006, a coalition of 38 civil society organizations called on those working in synthetic biology to withdraw the proposal to self-regulate technology, and begin a dialogue with society. Many companies and scientists to promote synthetic biology will be in Zurich, Switzerland, from 24 to 26 June at the "Synthetic Biology 3.0." ETC will speak at this event.
For more information on synthetic biology, see the report "Extreme Genetic Engineering - An Introduction to Synthetic Biology", ETC Group, January 2007. Download it here:
www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/603/03/synbiospanish_lite.pdf
See also the text of the open letter organizations civil society to scientists working in synthetic biology, May 19, 2006, available here:
www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/7/01/backgroundersyntbio_lspa.pdf
[i] patent application is available at www.uspto.gov . Look to the published application number: 20070122826. [ii]
See Clive Cookson and David Firn, "Breeding bugs That May help save the world: Craig Venter has found a large project to follow the human genome," in Financial Times (London) septiembre 28, 2002.
[iii]
J. Craig Venter citado en entrevista con Barrett Sheridan, en Newsweek International, 4 junio de 2007, disponible en Internet: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18882837/site/newsweek/ .
[iv] Dan Ferber, “Microbes Made to Order,” en Science, 9 de enero 2004: Vol. 303. No. 5655, pp. 158-161.
[v] ETC Group, entrevista a Drew Endy, Boston, 6 October 2006. [vi] Podcast, “Futures in Biotech 8: Drew Endy on Synthetic Biology, "November 9, 2006, online at dosponible
http://www.twit.tv/fib8
What this patent application claims? U.S. patent application number 20070122826 claims exclusive monopoly on:
- a set of genes that constitute a "minimal bacterial genome."
- The synthetic organism composed of those genes.
- Any version of the body that can make ethanol or hydrogen.
- Any method of production hydrogen, ethanol or use the agency. - A scientific method to test the function of other genes by inserting synthetic genes to an organism. - A digital version of the genome of the organism. - A set of nonessential genes. The patent claim ownership of a synthetic organism which lacks certain genes that the inventor has identified as "non-essential." The scope and fundamental nature of the claims in this patent application indicates that the sales companies are positioning themselves to become the Microsoft of synthetic biology, placing key technologies in this field under monopoly control.
"This opens the way for plants, animals and people briefly?
In theory, yes. In 2004, Craig Venter predicted that "the cells and life forms of genetic engineering products are relatively common in a decade."
[iv]
According to Drew Endy, who works in synthetic biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): "There are no technical barriers to synthesize plants and animals, it will happen as soon as someone pays for it." [v] In a recent interview (November 2006), Endy predicted to be possible to synthesize an entire human genome in a decade.
[vi]
Craig Venter is known for having starred in several break points in the history of commercial genomics. In 1996 he was the first sequence (decode) a bacterial genome. Five years later he led the commercial race to decode the entire human genome. If society does not control, it seems plausible that the creation of synthetic organisms from scratch progress at a similar pace. How to control and regulate synthetic bodies? Synthetic biology is being developed without proper societal debate concerning socio-economic implications, safety, health, environment and human rights. Venter and his colleagues are stepping up the science of artificial life long before the company has had the opportunity to discuss and assess their implications. A concern of environmentalists is that synthetic microbes have unforeseen impacts if released intentionally - or unintentionally. Security experts worry that synthetic biology now enable the rapid design and production of biological warfare weapons that were previously inaccessible. In 2006, a coalition of 38 civil society organizations called on those working in synthetic biology to withdraw the proposal to self-regulate technology, and begin a dialogue with society. Many companies and scientists to promote synthetic biology will be in Zurich, Switzerland, from 24 to 26 June at the "Synthetic Biology 3.0." ETC will speak at this event.
For more information on synthetic biology, see the report "Extreme Genetic Engineering - An Introduction to Synthetic Biology", ETC Group, January 2007. Download it here:
www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/603/03/synbiospanish_lite.pdf
See also the text of the open letter organizations civil society to scientists working in synthetic biology, May 19, 2006, available here:
www.etcgroup.org/upload/publication/7/01/backgroundersyntbio_lspa.pdf
[i] patent application is available at www.uspto.gov . Look to the published application number: 20070122826. [ii]
See Clive Cookson and David Firn, "Breeding bugs That May help save the world: Craig Venter has found a large project to follow the human genome," in Financial Times (London) septiembre 28, 2002.
[iii]
J. Craig Venter citado en entrevista con Barrett Sheridan, en Newsweek International, 4 junio de 2007, disponible en Internet: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18882837/site/newsweek/ .
[iv] Dan Ferber, “Microbes Made to Order,” en Science, 9 de enero 2004: Vol. 303. No. 5655, pp. 158-161.
[v] ETC Group, entrevista a Drew Endy, Boston, 6 October 2006. [vi] Podcast, “Futures in Biotech 8: Drew Endy on Synthetic Biology, "November 9, 2006, online at dosponible
http://www.twit.tv/fib8
0 comments:
Post a Comment