First artificial life 'within months'

Scientists could create the first new form of artificial life within months after a landmark breakthrough in which they took the whole genetic makeup - or genome - of a bacterial cell and transplanted it into a closely related species. The team that carried out the first “species transplant” says it plans within months to do the same thing with a synthetic genome made from scratch in the laboratory. There are many possible uses for custom engineered bacteria. Their hope is to engineer a lifeform that would be able to produce bio-fuels. “We would hope to have the first fuel from synthetic organisms certainly within the decade, possibly within half that time.” said Dr Craig Venter the team's leader.

Biodiesel from liposuctioned human ass-fat powers race boat

Is it science fiction? Welll no. But it does show that Beam Me Up has an honest interest in the environment...... plus who wouldn't jump at the chance to say ass fat!

Thanks to Cory Doctorow's Boing Boing blog for this!

Here's some video from a Current TV segment about a biodiesel boat race to circumnavigate the globe. The boat featured in the video runs on a mixture of fuel from various sources -- 4 gallons of the stuff was produced from liposuctioned butt blubber (a hundred grams of that came from the captain's own backside).

(AAAAAhhh ya gota love them renewable resources!!!! Plus if you look around you will see that there is damn near an inexhaustible supply!!! pac)