DNA

Kits made by Qiagen and Invitrogen make copying biological molecules -- DNA and proteins -- easier than painting by numbers. Using them reminds me of playing with a chemistry set: There are clearly written instructions, each step is simple, and the chemicals come in tiny plastic tubes. But unfortunately, mixing those liquids will not cause their color to change or start a fire.

The building blocks of life just got a little weirder. Natural DNA strands are also a favorite construction tool for nano-engineers because of its tendency for individual strands to automatically bind to one another, snapping into a range of useful shapes, like the famous double helix design. Now scientists at Arizona State University have taken things to the next level and created GNA.

Your DNA falls into the realm of "the world's information," and it seems that Google (GOOG), as part of its corporate mission, is making a play to organize that, too. The Internet giant received heavy press in 2007 when it invested at least $4.4 million (BusinessWeek.com, 11/29/07) in a genetic screening company, 23andMe, that was started by Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and her business partner.

If you were eating the spawn of a clone, would you want to know? Actually, you probably have already. As Ben Paynter pointed out in his lovely story for Wired last year, ranchers have been asked by the FDA to voluntarily keep clones and their offspring out of the food supply, but there’s no enforcement. And it’s not like they taste any different.

US scientists have taken a major step toward creating the first ever artificial life form by synthetically reproducing the DNA of a bacteria, according to a study published Thursday. "Through dedicated teamwork we have shown that building large genomes is now feasible and scalable so that important applications such as biofuels can be developed," said Dr. Hamilton Smith, seen here in 2003.

The exploration of the human genome has long been relegated to scientists in research laboratories. But that is about to change. An infant industry is capitalizing on the plunging cost of genetic testing technology to offer people unprecedented - and unmediated - entree to their own DNA. For as little as $1,000 and a saliva sample, anyone will be able to sign up to learn what is known about how the billions of bits in their biological code shape who they are. Three companies have already announced plans to market such services.

Imagine being a potential suspect for every crime committed in your country. That would be the logic if DNA from all of a country's citizens were stored in police DNA records, claims a report published this week by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which advises the UK government.

The US and UK governments are developing increasingly sophisticated gadgets to keep individuals under their surveillance. When it comes to technology, the US is determined to stay ahead of the game.

Police across the European Union are to be given free access to the DNA of four million Britons, a million of whom are innocent, it has emerged. Every member state will also be granted access to millions of fingerprints, as well as vehicle and driver registrations. A two-year agreement on cross-border co- operation between seven EU countries now becomes law involving all 27 nations.