On The Subject of iLeafs And Cowborgs � Scienceline

On The Subject of iLeafs And Cowborgs � Scienceline: "Synthetic biologists have been altering living cells using man-made genes and gene parts for more than a decade. They have programmed bacteria, for example, to ooze vaccines, to turn colors, and to sense the presence of toxins. When it comes to understanding how life is put together, however, biologists know very little. Given the daunting complexity of living organisms, there is some debate about whether synthetic biologists will ever engineer anything more complicated than a bacterium. But according to Carlson, who is a principal at the engineering, consulting and design company Biodesic in Seattle, Washington, “there is currently a revolution well under way.” And Carlson, for one, has very particular ideas about where this revolution is headed."