I would submit that even an organism of entirely new proteins isn't artificial. If it uses DNA, RNA and amino acids, it is just a variation on the same 4 billio

I would submit that even an organism of entirely new proteins isn't artificial. If it uses DNA, RNA and amino acids, it is just a variation on the same 4 billion year old theme. These proteins would not be "created" their structure would almost certainly be evolved computationally. That would be enormously useful. And it would be damned cool. But, I think true artificial life simply must be made out of something else.