J. Craig Venter scientists created the first Self-Replicating Synthetic Bacterial Cell

Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) published results describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell.

The research team synthesized the 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome.

The synthetic cell is called Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 and is the proof of principle that genomes can be designed in the computer, chemically made in the laboratory and transplanted into a recipient cell to produce a new self-replicating cell controlled only by the synthetic genome.

This research will be published by Daniel Gibson et al in the May 20th edition of Science Express and will appear in an upcoming print issue of Science.

According to Dr. Hutchison, “To me the most remarkable thing about our synthetic cell is that its genome was designed in the computer and brought to life through chemical synthesis, without using any pieces of natural DNA. This involved developing many new and useful methods along the way. We have assembled an amazing group of scientists that have made this possible.”