Humanity… prepare to meet Synthia.

Whether your genetic literacy is limited to Jurassic Park or you are fully fluent in DNA, Synthia, the newest project from Dr. Craig Ventor and his institute, should be on your radar. Here’s why.

Think of your genome as a computer code that acts as the blueprint for both your wetware (your stomach, your brain) as well as your software (how the parts interact). Your genes are composed of base pairs, which are the fundamental units of genetic code. Modern research has allowed scientists to determine exactly what every base pair of your code is. This is where the term “mapping the genome” comes from.

Now that we know how to read the code of life, we are discovering how to rewrite it. Less than one year after publishing the first complete human genome (his own), Dr. Craig Venter is on the verge of revealing the first synthetic life form… hence, “Synthia”.

Mycoplasma genitalium is a parasitic bacterium found in primate (e.g. human) genital and respiratory tracts. It boasts one of nature’s smallest genomes, containing a mere half million base pairs (compare that against your own 3.2 billion). This makes it a prime candidate for Venter’s new project, namely a synthetic genome which is wholly man-made.

If bacteria is all around us (and it is), why would Venter want to spend lots of time, money and energy to make his own brand? Synthesizing the genome of bacteria allows scientists to add in new code – code which could help synthesize ethanol, or medicine, or any number of useful products. Venter himself hasn’t been modest with his own speculations; he sees Synthia and her siblings tackling global warming and the fuel crisis.

Not everyone is so optimistic. Surrounding Venter’s research have been the ethical questions of synthetic pathogens, as well as the implications of future directions in genetic engineering. To complicate things further, Venter has been seeking patents for his creation. The legality (not to mention morality) of proprietary genes will be an important concern for policymakers, and genetic law is a field in its infancy.

As our genetic technologies grow exponentially, they will play a larger role in our everyday lives. They have the possibility to revolutionize the field of medicine, reduce greenhouse gasses, and even provide us with new fuels. We might also build devastating new weapons and cross dangerous ethical lines with our very own species. The world is about to change, for better or worse.

Synthia is almost here. Everyone ready?