The first designer chromosome is here. After seven years, a team of international scientists has created the first artificial eukaryote chromosome from scratch. Eukaryotes are complex cell organisms, like humans and plants, “in which the genetic material is organized into a membrane-bound nucleus.” The chromosome, was incorporated into brewer’s yeast, was built using a computer redesign of the structure. The recreated Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome is of special significance because it determines how well the organisms mate. The chromosome was transplanted into a healthy organism, where it worked normally. Scientist Patrick Yizhi Cai believes “This is a major step forward.
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