Scientists are working on a groundbreaking—yet controversial—project to create human DNA from scratch. They believe it could lead to breakthroughs in treating incurable diseases. The Wellcome Trust has funded the effort with an initial £10 million. Dr. Julian Sale, part of the team, calls it the “next giant leap in biology.” He says, “The sky is the limit. We are looking at therapies that will improve people’s lives as they age… We are looking to use this approach to generate disease-resistant cells.” For example, synthetic cells could repair damaged organs like the liver or heart. “We are looking to use this approach to generate disease-resistant cells we can use to repopulate damaged organs, for example in the liver and the heart, even the immune system,” he said. However, critics fear misuse. Dr. Pat Thomas warns, “We like to think that all scientists are there to do good, but the science can be repurposed to do harm.” The project coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Human Genome Project, which decoded human DNA. Now, scientists aim to build DNA piece by piece—even entire chromosomes—to study diseases. Prof. Matthew Hurles explains, “Building DNA from scratch allows us to test how DNA really works.” Currently, researchers can only tweak existing DNA in living systems. This new approach offers precision but raises concerns. Prof. Bill Earnshaw cautions, “The genie is out of the bottle… if an organization decided to start synthesizing anything, I don’t think we could stop them.” Ethical worries include bioweapons, “designer babies,” or corporate control. Ms. Thomas asks, “If we create synthetic body parts or even synthetic people, who owns them?” Wellcome defends its funding, with Dr. Tom Collins stating, “We asked ourselves what was the cost of inaction… This technology is going to be developed one day.” A parallel social science program, led by Prof. Joy Zhang, will gather public input. “We want to hear concerns and how this can benefit people,” she says. While the work stays in labs, the debate over its future is just beginning. The post Building Life in a Lab: Scientists Create Human DNA from Scratch appeared first on Anomalien.com.