First Reproducing Artificial Virus Created

jrrl writes "USAToday is reporting that Craig Venter's research group has synthesized a virus from scratch and that it "became bioactive" (started reproducing). Particularly interesting is that it only took them two weeks to build, rather than several years that previous attempts had taken."

eesh

[devphaeton]

Anymore these days, i have to re-read titles like this one to try to determine if it's a organism-disease virus, or a computer-disease virus.

heh.

These guys are writing fork bombs with DNA

Resident Evil anyone?

[Orien]

Are we sure this wasn't put out by the Umbrella corporation?

Scared now

[Daikiki]

Well, not really terrified I guess, but the whole "We've created life and it's procreating" thing is something that doesn't exactly make me feel warm and fuzzy,. And why did it have to be a virus. Why not a cute little kitten or something?

Oh no!

[wo1verin3]

Quick! Lets blacken the skies, they won't be able to live without light!

Re:Scared now

[Feyr]

why not a cute little virus? nothing wrong with em

Now....

[Terov]

If they can get it down to seven days then we'll have something ;)

Re:Oh no!

[Gettin'_Fatter]

If we blacken the skies they'll just figure out a way to use us as an source of energy and food...oh wait- that's what virii do.

Re:Should we really be doing things like this?

[B'Trey]

My first thought on reading the headline was 'Cue the Luddites.'

We're all going to die! Nanobot virus AIs created from stem cells and feeding on the bodies of Monarch butterflies slain by the pollen from genetically engineered corn are going to destroy the world!

Re:Should we really be doing things like this?

[oniony]

Yeah, I agree -- these people really need to start wearing condoms.

Re:Scared now

[greechneb]

Because you have to start simple. Viruses first, then ameoba, then lawyers....

No, wait, that's viruses, lawyers, ameoba..

Re:Scared now

[pmz]

Worse, they could have created real-life Tribbles but didn't. How can they call themselves scientists yet not pursue the future laid out before us by Gene Roddenberry?

I guess we'll see....

[Anonymous Coward]

how we feel about this 28 Days from now.

Re:Chilling

[mikerich]

You can practically smell the plea for more research money can't you?

I think the full case goes:

'Our new virus could help society meet its energy needs, clean up pollution, bring about World peace, reunite the cast of 'Friends', immunise the World's population against the threat of Jennifer Lopez movies and produce a Starbucks espresso that tastes faintly of coffee.'

Best wishes,
Mike.

Re:Viruses, not virii

[freeweed]

Excuseth me, but I have to go visit the Olde Shoppe now.

I'm all for literacy and correct grammar/spelling, but anyone who doesn't think English is a constantly evolving language obviously has never read a book more than 20 years olde.

obligatory joke

[cygnus]

i, for one, would like to *welcome* our virus-creating overlords...

/me looks around nervously, and dons a N100 mask.

Re:Scared now

[Mr. Sketch]

It would actually take quite a bit of extra work to make lawyers, after all, you would first have to figure out how to make creatures un-dead.

Re:Scared now

[clambake]

No, wait, that's viruses, lawyers, ameoba..

I thought you said life... The undead don't count.

Re:Should we really be doing things like this?

[jimsum]

Let's hope they use some sort of copy protection on these viruses so that they can only reproduce with the permission of the owner. That's DRM I have no trouble with.

Patent question

[El]

Can they now patent this virus, or does God's work count as prior art?

Re:Scared now

[Wraithlyn]

"What makes viruses controversial is that they cannot reproduce by themselves; they need to infect another cell."

Hmm, I shall have to double check when I get off work, but I'm fairly certain that: I cannot reproduce by myself; I need to infect another human. :)

Re:Patent question

[m1chael]

well until god challenges said patent...