The New York Genome Center launched a genome writing program to try to create a synthetic genome from the beginning.

More than 200 biologists, businessmen and ethicists recently gathered at the New York Genome Center to launch their next sensational project in biology: the Genome Writing Project (GP), an unfinded project after the Human Genome Project, in which scientists are looking not at reading the human genome, but creating a genome from the beginning and merging it into cells for medical purposes.
, for example, supporters say they can design a synthetic genome that will allow human cells to fight viral infections, radiation and cancer.
cells can be rapidly used in industrial drug manufacturing.
because of the modifications to the genome, they are able to avoid attacks by the immune system and are clinically used as a common stem cell therapy.
the project was bumpy when it was launched last year, and while its core content is an initiative to synthesize the human genome, many participants bring different expectations and ambitions.
if you target humans, even if you don't make human babies, it's stimulating, it's misread, but people will keep pushing," he said.
" said Andrew Hessel, a biotech catalyst and self-proclaimed futurist at Autodesk, a San Francisco, California-based software company that in recent years has focused on 3D design projects in architecture and exploring applications for synthetic biology in other fields.
Hessle is one of four "GP writers" who include lawyer Nancy Kelley, Geneticist Jeff Boeke of New York University Langer Medical Center and George Church of Harvard University.
"GP Writing" hope that the recent open meeting will highlight the seriousness of the plan.
Hessle came up with the idea of synthesizeing a human genome in a 2012 article in the Huffington Post.
years later, at an international conference on synthetic yeast genomes in 2015, Hessel again mentioned the goal in a panel discussion, saying it should be the next scientific event in biology.
, I'm surprised that scientists didn't come together to come up with similar proposals.
," Hessle said.
" week, Hessle called Church to ask if he would like to lead the program.
Church agreed and invited Boeke, who heads Sc2.0, the international synthetic yeast program, to co-host the project.
the synthetic biology program was originally called the Human Genome Project II, but in May last year its advocates changed its name to the Human Genome Writing Project.
, they removed the word "human" from the name to dispel public controversy.
this expanded idea is particularly evident at recent meetings, which include reports from scientists working on species such as fungi, yeast, octopuses and plants.
, however, despite allusions to the government's $3 billion Human Genome Project, GP Writing has so far not received funding to support researchers.
"We want the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include 'GP writing' in its support, but so far they haven't been as enthusiastic as we are," he said.
," Boeke said.
"GP Writing" is still a long way from the $100 million they hope to raise in 2016.
year, Autodesk provided "GP Writing" with $250,000 to launch programs and organizations.
next round of funding could come from Labcyte, a company that specializes in producing machines that operate small amounts of liquid through ultrasound.
will be the first corporate partner to be written by a GP, according to a conference organiser.
confirmed that it had a three-year financial support plan in place, but has not disclosed details.
so far, scientists hoping to participate in "GP writing" are conducting pilot research in synthetic biology with their own funding.
, in addition to its technical feasibility, it can now be extremely expensive to synthesize a complete human genome -- easily rising to $100 million at current prices.
the human genome is 3 billion nucleotides in length.
"That would be a million times the longest piece of DNA we're making this year."
," said Emily Leproust, chief executive of Twist Biosciences in San Francisco.
it remains to be seen whether the "GP-writing" project will achieve its financial goals, and while it has yet to form a united group, it has at least gained some enthusiasm.
, it does need to get the funds in place to write a much larger genome than we can write right now, and whether we're ready or not, the technology is in full play.
," Hessle said.
.