3 ms·
While this could potentially lead to very bad things, it could just as likely lead to a betterment of humanity. I think that, in a few years or so, the kidney-g
by younata 16y ago
While this could potentially lead to very bad things, it could just as likely lead to a betterment of humanity. I think that, in a few years or so, the kidney-growth pill McCoy gave to the old lady in The Voyage Home could be possible.
- nostromo 16y agoI can imagine an organism that eats oil and poops something enviro-neutral would come in quite handy right now.
- jacquesm 16y agoLet's hope that neutrality extends to fish-oil.
- Scriptor 16y agoThe problem is that those organisms will grow very quickly and are prone to mutations. You'd end up with a huge population of rapidly evolving critters, something you can never predict.
- jrockway 16y agoWe have this problem without any DNA manipulation. Ever heard of MRSA?
- Scriptor 16y agoThey're not really equivalent. MRSA evolved in hospitals from whatever strains were resistant to drugs. Otherwise it's been in the environment for a while and there's not really an ecological risk. On the other hand, we have no idea how a completely synthetic life-form will end up in the environment. They could be just like other organisms, or we might unwittingly give them a huge advantage in some way that causes them to outcompete others.
- stellar678 16y agoWe already have that - it's called mycoremediation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoremediation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoremediation Oyster mushrooms (yep, the ones you can buy in the store) do a great job.
- pjscott 16y agoKidneys are actually more likely to be grown in vitro from your stem cells, using some sort of scaffolding material, and then implanted into you. They're one of the simpler organs, so I think they'll be one of the earlier spectacular applications of tissue engineering.
- Tichy 16y agoStill, I'd prefer swallowing a pill to an operation.