Overview

• Wellcome Trust provided an initial £10m to begin the five-year Synthetic Human Genome Project involving researchers from Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and other UK institutions.
• Teams are now synthesising blocks of DNA to construct a fully synthetic human chromosome, around 2% of the genome, as a laboratory proof of concept.
• All work is confined to test tubes and petri dishes with no plan to create synthetic life forms, focusing on understanding gene function and development.
• A dedicated social science effort led by University of Kent sociologist Professor Joy Zhang will assess ethical, social and policy implications in parallel.
• Critics including Beyond GM’s Dr Pat Thomas warn of potential misuse for designer genetics, bioweapons or health inequalities if commercialization outpaces regulation.