I would like to know how this proves intelligent design over abiogenesis.

But then who designed the intelligent designer? Ahh! Paradox. :-p

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Yes, it does prove intelligent design, it proves that we are the intelligent designers.

But I assume that by intelligent design, you are referring to Inteligent design theory *laughs at misuse of the word theory*.

If so, then how is this proof for an intelligent designer? All it's proof for is that we can synthetically produce DNA and insert it into cells that have had their DNA removed. It doesn't in any way prove that someone created us.

On topic: In case anyone is interested here is the paper.

I haven't read it yet, I will do it later. It's quite exciting that DNA can be synthetically produced, it really will open up a massive new area of research in Biology. The potential of this advance is phoenominal.

It isn't that mind-boggling actually. DNA in it's conception is a very simple molecule, made of a combination of four different Nucleotides which itself is separated into three parts: Phosphorous link, Sugar and Puryn/Pyrimidic base. Even Lipids and Proteins are more complex in it's conception than DNA

What's trully marvelous about DNA is the fact that it can hold all the information to create every molecule for a functional living being to exist. Just by pairing three simple nucleotide pairs into a codon to create aminoacids Nature's wonderfully simple in it's conception. 

I never said it was mind boggling . I know that the DNA isn't really that complicated and we can sequence a whole genome in a matter of days now. But what these people have done is an incredible breakthrough. It was very difficult logistically to produce an error free genome to transplant into the recipient cell, that's what's so great about this advance.

Yup, that's what I said on my first posts here

Being a student in biochemistry in the genomics field, this announcement was known for quite a while, but it trully stirred our university. Like Scoobes said, if we can somehow create, with a synthetic cell, a recombinant microorganism that has the same yield for genomic study as E.Coli or better, then a new age in genomics will unfold   

I haven't studied Biology since A-levels, so I can't really say. But as you said I really can imagine this really had a big impact on researchers and students alike. You're studying this field, it must be really exciting for you. As far as Biology goes I really only have a pop knowledge.

I'm in the same boat as highwaystar on this. I just finished high school and am going into Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University, but I am a huge fan of biology. Now that I just finished AP Biology, most of my information comes from a science journal called Nature. My dad has a PHD in Microbiology and is currently doing research to cure sickle cell, and he is a huge biology fan so I read the journal after he finishes with it. I heard about the synthetic cell on their website. My dad knew about this for weeks before but just failed to tell me until I already figured it out. It is a stepping stone to a new age in genomics.

I should be The God of War!  I would only take action if it were the wisest thing to do.

There are enough smaller mammalian genes and chaperone proteins though to make it viable to design a more robust expression system than we currently have with bacterial cells. It would take quite a bit of work but I'm sure some Biotech and Pharma groups are already thinking along these lines. People are already co-expressing incusion body prone proteins with chaperones to help them fold, this would simply be an extra step. Of course, it wouldn't be as good as a eukaryotic system with post-translational modifications, but bacterial cells have the advantage of much faster growth cycles and potentially higher protein yields.

This tech does have the potential for scientists to create an organism with the best of both worlds (prokaryotic and eukaryotic), making a fast growing, high expressing organism which enables soluble and stable protein folding. Still a long way to go yet though.