Scientists Created Bacteria with a Synthetic Genome. Is This Artificial Life?

Scientists have created a living organism whose DNA is entirely hu man-made — perhaps a new form of life, experts said, and a milestone in the field of synthetic biology. Researchers at the University of Cambridge on Wednesday reported that they had rewritten the DNA of the bacteria Escherichia coli, fashioning a synthetic genome four times larger and far more complex than any previously created. These synthetic bacteria also may offer clues as to how the genetic code arose in the early history of life.

Source: www.nytimes.com