A recent announcement by the White House has inspired new concerns for the Atlanta Creationism Examiner. Scientists now have permission to play God.

The president’s bioethics commission has concluded that there is no need to temporarily halt research or to impose new regulations on the controversial new field known as synthetic biology.

Man-made forms of life are just fine in Uncle Sam's book, a new federal study into synthetic biology concludes.

The United States should take a number of steps to mitigate bioterrorism and other threats that could be posed by new technologies enabling development of man-made microorganisms, a recently established U.S. government panel said in a report made public today.

The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has called for enhanced federal oversight in the emerging field of synthetic biology, which involves the design and construction of laboratory-made biological parts.

Synthetic biology poses few risks because it is still in its early stages and there is no need to impose new restrictions on, or temporarily halt, this type of research, says a report being released Thursday by the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.

A new Eurobarometer survey on life sciences and biotechnology shows that Europeans are optimistic about biotechnology. 53% of respondents believe biotechnology will have a positive effect in the future, and only 20% a negative effect.

Regarding the specifics of synthetic biology, Science Daily wrote in a Nov. 5, 2010 press release, “The University of Greenwich’s School of Architecture & Construction is poised to use ethical synthetic biology to create ‘living’ materials that could be used to clad buildings and help combat the effects of climate change.

Three international drug companies have announced strategic moves to strengthen their position in the booming Chinese health care market.

College and high school students from the world over begin convening in Boston today for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition to present biotech projects they’ve been working on all summer.

Researchers are working with the University of Southern Denmark, theUniversity of Glasgow and University College London (UCL) to develop building materials that could produce water in desert environments or harvest sunlight to make biofuels.

Synthetic Genomics (SGI) and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) have formed a new company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines (SGVI), to develop next-generation vaccines based on synthetic genome technology.

http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/363374/feature_meaning_artificial_life/