Jordi García Ojalvo

Thirty eight scientists from different specialties, including Craig Venter, a pioneer in the creation of artificial synthetic life, have written an article in the journal Science in which they assess the possibilities of synthesizing mirror organisms, but also warn of the risks they pose. This type of microorganisms, which would present a mirror structure to that currently found in nature, would have potential applications due to their resistance to biological degradation. However, they would also pose a danger because they would not be recognized by our defenses and could spread in ecosystems. Scientists call for more research and a broad debate, and warn that until more is known, this type of organism should not be created. 

A team of researchers has managed to combine more than seven synthetic chromosomes made in the laboratory in a single yeast cell. This involves developing for the first time a eukaryotic cell with more than 50% synthetic DNA, which survives and replicates in a similar way to wild yeast strains. The results, which are part of the Synthetic Yeast Genome Project (Sc2.0), are published in the journal Cell.