Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars

Subject: Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:24 pm

J. Craig Venter, the maverick scientist, is looking for a new world to conquer — Mars. He wants to detect life on Mars and bring it to Earth using a device called a digital biological converter, or biological teleporter.

Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars Art-dna1-620x349

Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars Art-dna1-620x349

Although the idea conjures up Star Trek, the analogy is not exact. The transporter on that program actually moves Captain Kirk from one location to another. Venter's machine would merely create a copy of an organism from a distant location — more like a biological fax machine.

The system will first be used to remotely clone individual genes, or perhaps viruses. Single-celled organisms like bacteria might come later.

Still, Venter, known for his early sequencing of the human genome and for his bold proclamations, predicts the biological converter will be his next innovation and will be useful on Earth well before it could ever be deployed on the red planet.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/developing-a-fax-machine-to-copy-life-on-mars-20131122-2y0k8.html#ixzz2li7RadhD

Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars

Developing a fax machine to copy life on Mars

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