Patenting artificial life

2007/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

Craig Venter -- founder of a private organization when he dedicated himself to sequencing the human genome -- and his team have been trying to make a man-made life for years. They have not yet succeeded but want to patent the procedure to follow.

They want the genome of life they want to create to be the minimum possible. Therefore, to know which genes are necessary to live and duplicate, the individual genes were removed to the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium. By 1999 they obtained a list of essential genes. Once they know it, they want to take the next step: make them from scratch and create a living being capable of growing and reproducing themselves.

They have not made known how they will do it. Moreover, they have requested to patent the procedure they will use. However, the ETC group, which controls the development of biotechnology, does not want to accept it. Calls on patent offices not to accept patent applications for synthetic living. It is about avoiding competition to create artificial life and make it private.