Controversial project sets out to create synthetic human DNA
Scientists have begun an attempt to create human genetic code from raw chemicals, as a once-taboo area of research gains fresh momentum.
Backed by £10 million from the Wellcome Trust, the five-year SynHG project will work on creating tools to aid synthetic genomics — in which instead of editing existing DNA, researchers aim to write the genetic code from scratch.
Every cell in the body contains DNA (except mature red blood cells and platelets), which provides the instructions for producing the proteins that form the building blocks of life. Flaws or mutations in this code are the cause of a wide range of diseases.
• NHS to offer whole genome sequencing to every newborn baby
Supporters of synthetic genomics argue that learning how to assemble DNA will help unlock its secrets, transforming our understanding of human biology and allowing the creation of novel treatments for diseases that currently have no cure.
However, the idea of creating human genetic material in the lab has long raised ethical concerns, from the spectre of synthetic 'designer babies' to unforeseen effects on future generations.
The new project, led by Professor Jason Chin of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, will bring together teams from the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester and Kent and Imperial College London. The aim is not to build an entire synthetic human genome — a complete set of genetic instructions, written in DNA — but to lay the technical groundwork, starting with the construction of a single human chromosome.
Alongside the technical work, a group led by Professor Joy Zhang of the University of Kent will scrutinise the moral, legal and social implications of genome synthesis. Wellcome, the world's largest medical research charity, believes the potential benefits of the project outweigh the risks.
So far, scientists have successfully developed synthetic genomes for microbes such as E. coli, a type of bacteria. The field has accelerated in recent years, however, fuelled by advances in machine learning, data science and AI.
Even so, today's technology is not able to produce large, more complex sections of genetic material, such as those that give rise to crops, animals and humans.
Michael Dunn, director of discovery research at Wellcome, said: 'Our DNA determines who we are and how our bodies work and with recent technological advances, the SynHG project is at the forefront of one of the most exciting areas of scientific research.
'Through creating the necessary tools and methods to synthesise a human genome we will answer questions about our health and disease that we cannot even anticipate yet, in turn transforming our understanding of life and wellbeing.'
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