What If We Let Synthetic Life Forms Loose?

WHAT IF

How were these scientists able to create new lifeforms?

Transcript

00:00 You've seen it in the movies and read about it in books,

00:08 but now the idea of creating artificial life in a laboratory is becoming a reality.

00:15 In 2010, a team of scientists successfully built a synthetic cell from scratch.

00:21 Some experts praised the experiment as a defining moment in the history of biology,

00:26 while others were terrified of its implications.

00:29 How were these scientists able to create new lifeforms?

00:33 What are the potential benefits of their creation?

00:36 And what happens if these lifeforms are unleashed beyond the laboratory?

00:41 This is WHAT IF, and here's what would happen if we let synthetic lifeforms loose.

00:47 This brand new organism, affectionately known as "Synthia,"

00:50 was created by synthesizing a DNA code and injecting it into a single bacteria cell.

00:56 At their best, synthetic lifeforms could be used to create biofuels and medicines.

01:03 But in the wrong hands, they could be used to create the most powerful bioweapons imaginable.

01:08 Are the benefits really worth the risks?

01:13 Most lifeforms are created as a result of Darwinian evolution,

01:17 but Synthia's birth was a much more calculated process.

01:21 Dr. Craig Venter, a billionaire biologist apparently bored with his other entrepreneurial efforts,

01:27 decided he'd try his hand at playing God instead.

01:30 He started by reading the DNA of Mycoplasma mycoides,

01:33 a bacterial species that infects goats, and recreated it piece by piece.

01:38 Then, he stitched those pieces together and inserted them into the bacteria of a different species.

01:45 This created a brand new, completely artificial bacteria that grew and multiplied for generations.

01:51 So what's the point of it all?

01:53 Are we just messing around with nature because we can?

01:56 Some people think so, but Dr. Venter always had grand aspirations

02:00 to use this technology for the good of humanity.

02:03 In fact, since his initial proof of concept,

02:06 the U.S. Department of Energy has already started working on modifying organisms

02:11 such as yeast and E. coli to produce renewable biofuels.

02:15 Some researchers have even been able to modify cells in diabetic mice

02:19 to monitor blood sugar levels and secrete insulin accordingly.

02:23 In years to come, this technology could extend to humans

02:26 and make life much easier for Type 1 diabetics.

02:29 The potential is gigantic, but so are the dangers that come with it.

02:34 These synthetic lifeforms do wonders in the lab,

02:37 but what happens if they're let loose into the wild?

02:40 One fear is that these artificial microbes could threaten the natural balance of ecosystems

02:45 because they don't obey the rules of the natural world.

02:48 They could wipe out entire plant crops and send the farming industry into a tailspin.

02:53 Or what if the technology got into the wrong hands?

02:56 Terrorists could use it to design a custom virus to unleash on populations of their choice,

03:02 or create a biological weapon our world's not ready for.

03:05 While these scenarios may sound like the stuff of science fiction,

03:09 we should consider them because they expose the bigger issue

03:12 that there aren't clearly defined regulations for synthetic biology.

03:17 Before we go investing in all the potential benefits of this technology,

03:21 maybe we should stop and put systems in place to make sure it doesn't work against us.

03:26 With the right oversight, maybe one day we'll be able to use this technology

03:30 to create animals or people from scratch.

03:33 But that's a topic for another WHAT IF.

03:36 [Music]

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