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Tycoon’s Team Finds Fewest Number Of Genes Needed For Life And Seeks Patent For It
By Mr Ethanol | June 12, 2007
Scenta:
The man who sequenced the human genome and scoured oceans for unknown organisms is seeking exclusive commercial rights to the bare essentials for life.
It follows a discovery by researchers backed by Craig Venter (photo), the school dropout turned scientific entrepreneur, of what is believed to be the minimum number of genes required for life to exist.
The discovery could result in the first man-made organisms, which Dr Venter hopes to turn into a trillion-dollar business by using them to create environmentally-friendly fuel. Together the genes spell out the most efficient form of life possible - the fewest possible genes needed to allow an organism to grow, replicate and proliferate.
The researchers, based at the not-for-profit J Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, revealed details of the discovery in a patent application under consideration at the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Scientists have long sought an answer to the question of how few genes an organism needs to survive. The knowledge will allow researchers to create living organisms almost from scratch. The Rockville team hopes to create new microbes that produce hydrogen and ethanol efficiently. If they succeed, vats of the microbes could be used to produce fuel.
Topics: Energy, Ethanol, Health, Law, News, Science, Technology |
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