Jawahar Mishra
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As science progresses, it also makes new and exciting discoveries. Under this process, in the coming days, humans are going to make copies of themselves. That is, biologists are stepping into the laboratory to create artificial humans, or in simple terms, artificial humans. In fact, scientists are going to gather in the laboratory to create artificial human DNA. This research, which is being started with the aim of protecting the human community from various diseases and providing a healthy life, has faced controversy from the beginning. Its supporting scientists claim that it will be able to achieve its goal, while its opposing scientists have warned that artificial humans will be created with this artificial human DNA molecule in the coming days and it will disrupt human society.
The Synthetic Human Genome Project will now create DNA artificially. Scientists will soon be able to create parts of a DNA molecule and even entire parts of it. The technology could be misused in various ways and it is feared that it will also cause many problems. Despite all this, why is this synthetic human DNA being created?
A controversial medical project has finally begun, thanks to a generous donation from the Wellcome Trust, the world’s largest medical foundation. Work has begun to create synthetic human DNA, which has long been feared to be misused. However, supporters of the project say that it will do more good than harm, so it is important to go ahead with it. The trust has given $13 million, or about Rs 11 billion in Indian rupees, to start the project. It claims that the technology could speed up the treatment of many chronic diseases. The BBC also reported this.
Experts have argued that by building pieces of human life from scratch, the technology could be used to modify humans and create designer babies. However, those involved in the project say they think otherwise. Dr Julian Sell, from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, who is part of the project, said: “The sky is the limit. We are looking for treatments that will improve people’s lives as they age, that will provide a healthy old age with fewer diseases.”
He further said the method could be used to “create disease-resistant cells that we can use to replace damaged organs, for example, the liver and the heart, and even the immune system.”
Still, there are those who are strongly opposed to the artificial creation of DNA, fearing misuse. Dr. Pat Thomas, director of the campaign group Beyond GM, told the media that although scientists are there to work for the good of humanity, it is also possible to use it for “harm and war.”
Artificial DNA technology could be misused for biological weapons
DNA is made up of just four small building blocks called A, G, C and T. The Human Genome Project, which recently completed 25 years, has allowed scientists to read all of a person’s genes like a bar code. The new DNA project will use this as a launchpad and take the work even further. The project, called the Synthetic Human Genome Project, will allow researchers to create a single molecule of DNA, and even all of it, from scratch.
Scientists will first aim to develop a way to build large blocks of human DNA, which will then be turned into an artificially constructed human chromosome. The genes on chromosomes are how the human body develops and repairs itself. Problems with genes often cause many diseases. The project will study and experiment to learn more about how genes and DNA control our bodies.
The project will not seek to develop artificial life and experiments will be limited to test tubes and petri dishes. However, it will allow scientists to control human life systems. If the technology is used for the wrong purpose, things can go horribly wrong. Professor Bill Earnshaw, a geneticist at the University of Edinburgh, who has designed a method to create artificial human chromosomes, fears that it could be used to create biological weapons, advanced human constructs or even animals with human DNA.
He says that if someone decides to start synthesizing something, there is no way to stop them. Another problem is who will own the artificially created body parts. “If we succeed in creating artificial body parts or artificial humans, who will own them? And who will own the data that comes from this creation and innovation?” he asks.
Conclusion
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The step that scientists have taken to create artificial human DNA for the benefit of the public is certainly welcome. If this is successful, it will bring about a world-changing change in medical science, as a result of which people can be protected from various diseases and lead a healthy and strong life.
However, in the future, the knowledge gained from this research can be misused to create artificial humans that can destroy human society, or to create creatures with human DNA, or even to invent very deadly biological weapons with it. It would be foolish to dismiss the claims of scientists who are making such claims as insignificant.
The human mind is more influenced and attracted towards bad things than good things. It is possible that if not today, then at some time in the future, the ill minded people can misuse this research knowledge and create artificial humans and fake humans that can do harm to society. Scientific invention is like a bullet fired from a gun, a terrible principle that once it has put an end to its invention, it cannot be brought back to its previous state by being a mouse ( As Punarmushika Bhabah. )
Therefore, we must be careful not to misuse the knowledge gained from this research in the future.
