Man-made DNA has serious risks, dangers

The article, "A step to artificial life: Man-made DNA powers cell," regarding the benefits of a genetically synthesized cell, is wrong. This new cell does have benefits mentioned in the article, but there are a lot of dangers that ride right behind them.

Genome mapper J. Craig Venter himself said that "one letter out of a million" completely changes the genetic code and modifies it. For example, in humans, one mismatched letter can turn healthy blood cells into sickle cells. One letter wrong has the potential of destroying a population. Even President Obama is worried about this mishap and is intent on "minimizing identified risks." If the risks are identified, that means that there truly are risks out there that we are diving headfirst into. The Friends of the Earth, an environmental group, is also concerned about letting these "engineered microbes escaping into the environment."

The most dangerous of all is the creation of bioweapons. Anthrax, plague, smallpox, foot and mouth disease, toxins - these are all bioweapons that have already been created.

Do we really want to create even more? After an anthrax bomb was dropped in World War II, the area had to be sealed off for 50 years due to lethal contaminations - and that was back then. With our technologies, we have the potential to create a biological weapon that can be even more powerful than a nuclear bomb. For the safety of the future, this needs to stop.

Madeline Wimberly

Arlington Heights