Patents and cyborg cells
news @ nature.com--The patent threat to designer biology--Behind scare stories of building synthetic life lies the issue of who owns the biological parts.: A new patent application has been filed by Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, on "the world's first-ever human-made species," a bacterium created with synthetic DNA.
The patent claims there are "381 essential genes needed to make an organism. The genes are found in Mycoplasma genitalium, a naturally slimmed-down microbe that has just 485 genes that encode proteins.
"... If the patent were granted, anyone wanting to design an organism from these genes would need to apply for a license. "These monopoly claims signal the start of a high-stakes commercial race to synthesize and privatize synthetic life forms," claimed ETC's Jim Thomas. 'Will Venter's company become the "Microbesoft" of synthetic biology?'"
The patent claims there are "381 essential genes needed to make an organism. The genes are found in Mycoplasma genitalium, a naturally slimmed-down microbe that has just 485 genes that encode proteins.
"... If the patent were granted, anyone wanting to design an organism from these genes would need to apply for a license. "These monopoly claims signal the start of a high-stakes commercial race to synthesize and privatize synthetic life forms," claimed ETC's Jim Thomas. 'Will Venter's company become the "Microbesoft" of synthetic biology?'"
posted by Allison Muri at 3:20 PM
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