Craig Venter Speaks on Synthetic Biology
J. Craig Venter (Credit: Public Library of Science)
**Craig Venter** _J. Craig Venter Institute_
– Few things excite his imagination than trying to design people and organisms for the long-term settlement of space – Created a bacterial cell controlled by chemically synthesized genome earlier this year – Mapped the human genome for the first time 15 years ago – Can now map a human genome in a couple of days with a machine that costs about $500,000 – NASA has been doing genetic selection for quite some time — astronaut selection — without really admitting it…why not make it more rigorous? – Screen for traits that are highly compatible for space — inner ear changes that eliminate motion sickness, minimize bone loss, etc. – If people are going to be traveling and living in space for a long period of time, might think about engineering humans for with these traits
– Every person who goes to ISS is bringing maybe 10 million bacteria, genes, etc. with him/her
(…) Read the rest of SSI Space Manufacturing 14: Craig Venter Speaks on Synthetic Biology (334 words)
* * *
(C) Douglas for Parabolic Arc, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post
Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
URL: http://www.parabolicarc.com/2010/10/30/ssi-space-manufacturing-14-craig-venter-speaks/