Until now, the only completely written genomes from scratch correspond to unicellular organisms that have, at most, 16 chromosomes composed of approximately 12 million base pairs. An achievement that needed approximately a decade of work.
Humans, compared to More than 30 billion cells with 46 chromosomes and 3 billion base pairs. Therefore, sequencing a complete human genome is very complex and if we add to that reconstruct the genetic material of our species from scratch, the task seems impossible in the short term. But for the project called Synthetic human genome (Synhg) It is a matter of years. And they have already begun.
The objective of the first step is to use the human genome to write the genetic code of a single greatly long DNA chain in one of our chromosomes, which represents approximately 2 % of our total genome. All DNA content will be designed digitally before its subsequent construction in the laboratory.
According to those responsible for Synhg, scientists from Oxford, Kent, Manchester, Cambridge and Imperial College London universities, this project could promote a genetic revolution, deeply changing our Understanding of human DNA and possibly allowing therapies based on design cells and virus -resistant tissue transplants. The objective is to build a completely synthetic human chromosome in the next five to ten years.
“The ability to synthesize large genomes, including human cells, could transform our understanding of genomic biology and deeply alter the horizons of biotechnology and medicine – affirms in a statement, the leader of the Molecular project and molecular biologist Jason Chin, of the Ellison and Oxford Technological Institute -. With Synhg, we are creating the tools to realize the synthesis of large genomes. ”
For experts, despite all the knowledge acquired from the sequencing and complete reading of the human genome in 2003, which There is still a lot of work to do before we can build a complete human genome.
As for synthetic human chromosomes, although it is very unlikely that the current project comes so far, “it could be possible to create synthetic cells that can be cultivated in the laboratory with high efficiency -says Robin Lovell -Badge, an expert geneticist of the Francis Crick Institute, who did not participate in the study -however, it has not been suggested to create synthetic humans. We do not know how to do it and it is likely to be very insecure”
While the details have not been publicly, the SynHG team claims to be working with academic experts, civil society, industry and politicians for Examine the ethical, legal and social implications of your research.
And this type of projects are that not only inspire social and ethical debates about the possibilities and consequences of complex health and reproduction problems, From the right to create “design” babies to the definition of eugenics… They can also change our future as a species, in evolutionary, medicinal and technological terms