Synthetic Nanobiology, Alternative Fuels and The Third Seal of Revelation

Revelation 6:5-6(NIV) - When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

As stated in The Bible, is there really a connection between food and oil? The world as we know it is run on an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels which are a non-renewable resource. With pollution issues, potential supply shortages and instability in the Middle East among major oil producing nations, there has been a concerted effort to pursue other options. In response to the rising demand for alternative fuels, companies have developed some interesting solutions.

Altfuels.org lists the alternative fuel types as;

•Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG, commonly known as propane)

•Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)


•Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)


•Methanol (M85)


•Ethanol (E85)


•Biodiesel (B20)


•Electricity

•Hydrogen

One of the biggest problems is that the most widely available alternative fuels are also derived from fossil fuels so they still are not renewable resources. In addition, the more popular "renewable" resources like ethanol are created from food sources like corn. As a result, while they may solve the oil problem they contribute to a food shortage. Tomorrow is the IPO (Initial Public Offering) of renewable oil company Solazyme and this appears to be a game-changer.

Here's the overview they provide at Solazyme.com;

We have pioneered an industrial biotechnology platform that harnesses the prolific oil-producing ability of microalgae. We use standard industrial fermentation equipment to efficiently scale and accelerate the microalgae's natural oil production time to just a few days. Our platform is feedstock flexible and can utilize a wide variety of plant-based sugars, such as sugarcane-based sucrose, corn-based dextrose, and sugar from other biomass sources including cellulosics. By growing our proprietary microalgae in the absence of light using fermentation tanks to convert photosynthetic plant sugars into oil, we are in effect utilizing "indirect photosynthesis."

So let me simplify this for you. With their technology, they can produce fuel without using food or even light. Renewable? Check! Emission reduction? Check! No dependence on petroleum? Check! This has caused considerable excitement and investors are at the edge of their seats ready to jump in. If that's not enough, they can do even more with this technology. They can also create flour, edible oils and dietary supplements which provide alternatives to standard soy, whey, egg and other protein sources. 

Here's what Kris Tuttle of Reseach 2.0 had to say in his article, "Solazyme Pre-IPO Report: Synthetic Nanobiology Comes of Age" at "Seeking Alpha". 

The ongoing advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology are ushering in a new age of synthetic nanobiology that promises to profoundly alter the global economic landscape in coming years. Scientists have come to recognize that much of biology is executed at the nanoscale level. Exponential increases in computing power and innovations in software are enabling scientists and researchers to scale down to the atomic level to create novel materials and products that heretofore have been the domain of science fiction. We are reaching a stage in the evolution of synthetic nanobiology where we are likely to see an acceleration of product innovation and commercialization in the years ahead. Suffice it to say, this is an intriguing time for companies and investors alike.

Solazyme is an emerging pioneer of synthetic nanobiology in the life sciences. We think of the company as the poster child for Juan Enriquez’s visionary and provocative book, “As the Future Catches You” (Crown Business, 2000, 2001). Led by CEO Jonathan Wolfson and President and CTO Harrison Dillon, both experienced entrepreneurs who have built a top-notch team over the past several years, Solazyme is in the early stages of building out a transformative, nano-enabled life sciences franchise – a 21st century oil company – that is creating fundamentally new ways of producing high value fuels, chemicals, skin and personal care products, and nutritional products that have the potential to change the way people live, work and play.

I'll tell you why this interests me so much.

“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” - One of The Four Living Creatures around God's Throne in Heaven

In an article appearing on CBN News, two weeks ago, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that there is an impending global food crisis. It's already begun in North Korea. A few months earlier, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on Sunday, February 20th Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund made a shocking pronouncement.

Due to projected numbers for population growth provided by the United Nations and available food resources "we will need to produce as much food in the next 40 years as we have in the last 8,000.... By 2050 we will not have a planet left that is recognizable" if trends continue.

It's common knowledge that a global food crisis is coming. There's even a website called FoodShortageUSA.Com providing guidance as people prepare for it.

Revelation 6:3-4(NIV) - When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

Out of apparently nowhere, war has broken out in the Middle East which directly affects the oil supply of the world. Nation by nation, people have started revolting and like dominoes it's inevitable that many of those leaders will fall. However, using Egypt as an example, even after the leader falls that doesn't mean the fighting ends. The second seal takes peace from the earth. The third seal is a food shortage. The Bible is either on to something or this is a very, very strange coincidence. Technology is being developed to create alternative food and fuel sources using synthetic nanobiology. Obviously, the world is preparing for something huge. Are you?

The Expanding Universe and the End of the World

If you're reading this right now, you either missed the rapture that was supposed to take place last Saturday or there was none. Predicting the exact date and time of the rapture is impossible according to The Bible.

Mark 13:32-36 (New Living Translation) - “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.

I won't say much more about that issue because the scriptures speak for themselves. Let's talk science.

Last week, the science world was buzzing with excitement. The universe is expanding at an increasing rate and Dark Energy is the proven culprit. That is, according to data released from NASA's space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and the Anglo-Australian Telescope on Siding Spring Mountain in Australia.

Here's what Paul Rincon, Science reporter from BBC News said on May 19th in the article; "New method 'confirms dark energy'"

First results from a major astronomical survey using a cutting-edge technique appear to have confirmed the existence of mysterious dark energy.

Dark energy makes up some 74% of the Universe and its existence would explain why the Universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate.

In the article, "Dark energy is real, new evidence indicates" at MSNBC.Com also published on May 19th, the writer states;

Dark energy has long been an unexplainable force, and the theory of its existence remains unproven, but the results of this new study could provide independent confirmation that it is behind the strange way that galaxies are being pulled from one another, against the tug of gravity.

This major announcement is exciting for more reasons than one. One important reason is that it strengthens the position presented by Einstein that gravity is an attractive force. Thus, it cannot be used as an explanation for the force behind the expanding universe. The second reason is that it strengthens the Biblical position that the heavens are being stretched and spread out by the direction of God.

Isaiah 40:22(NKJV) - It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

In the article, "The Big Bang in The Bible" I presented a concise argument for The Big Bang according to scriptures. Point #2 was "The Universe is continually expanding." Now we know why.

Stephen Hawking: Brilliant Scientist, Bitter Atheist or Both?

When Stephen Hawking sneezes, the scientific world catches a cold! - Anonymous

For those of you who don't know, Stephen Hawking is the most well renowned scientist in Britain and perhaps, the entire world. Last Sunday, The Guardian(UK) published the following article from Ian Sample, science correspondent; "Stephen Hawking: 'There is no heaven; it's a fairy story'"

Here is a direct quote from that article;

You had a health scare and spent time in hospital in 2009. What, if anything, do you fear about death?

I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

:-)

I know emoticons or "smiley faces" are not acceptable in professional documents but I just couldn't resist. Is this man a brilliant scientist or is he a bitter atheist? Let's start by answering a fundamental question;

What is science?

From Faith Science;

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the scientific method as, “principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.”

In addition, it gives the following four applicable definitions of science:

1. The state of knowing: knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding

2. a) A department of systematized knowledge as an object of study

b) Something (as a sport or technique) that may be studied or learned like systematized knowledge

3. a) Knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method

b) Such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena: natural science

4. A system or method reconciling practical ends with scientific laws

The foundational principles of science have enabled humanity to understand the world around us. Through the systematic pursuit of knowledge, the collection of data, and subsequent testing of formulated hypotheses, we have established “definitive” conclusions about ourselves and what can be perceived. Hence, established scientific laws must either be proven inconsistent, using the scientific method or fully accepted.

In other words, you have two options: beat them or join them. By definition, science as a whole is an approach to gaining understanding. It is systematic and objective so that the conclusions can be reproduced if the same steps are followed under similar conditions.

Let me ask a few simple questions: 

1. Is the statement made by Stephen Hawking that there is no heaven or afterlife a scientific conclusion or a non-scientific assertion? 
2. If it is a scientific conclusion, then by the standards of natural science within which he is supposed to operate, where does his analytical procedure fit into The Scientific Method? 
3. If it is a non-scientific assertion, when a scientist goes outside the limitations of The Scientific Method and brings his personal non-scientific opinion into consideration should it still be accepted as science?
4. In other words, because Stephen Hawking is a renowned scientist, can he just say whatever he feels like and get a free pass from the scientific community? 

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use”
(Galileo Galilei: 1564–1642 Italian physicist).

There is no question that Stephen Hawking is a brilliant scientist. I've read some of his work and it is indeed amazing. Check out the transcript from his public lecture; "Does God Play Dice?" Hence, I don't feel the need to pick apart his writings in detail in order to prove a point to anyone. In fact, I really have no personal issue with him. He is using his God given mind to find answers to universal questions. Galileo Galilei said it best. God expects us to use our sense, reason and intellect because He gave it to us. However, when any man states his personal opinion without the support of any scientific evidence, I am free to oppose it.

Here's another quote from  "Stephen Hawking: 'There is no heaven; it's a fairy story'"

In his bestselling 1988 book, A Brief History of Time, Hawking drew on the device so beloved of Einstein, when he described what it would mean for scientists to develop a "theory of everything" – a set of equations that described every particle and force in the entire universe. "It would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God," he wrote.

Since he can give his opinion, I can give mine. I will now propose what I believe to be a "Theory of Everything" which will reveal the mind of God that is as scientific as Stephen Hawking's statement; "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

Genesis 1:1, 26(NLT) - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..... Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

I know that creation is not scientific but I believe it's true. Since it is impossible for us to definitively prove or disprove it using The Scientific Method I don't need to defend it. However, I'm not finished. I also have another non-scientific statement that needs to be shared.

Matthew 10:28(KJV) - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Is Stephen Hawking a brilliant scientist, bitter atheist or both? Honestly, in the big scheme of things, it really doesn't matter. What matters is not what you, I or any other person on this earth thinks about him but what God thinks about each of us. Whether or not we believe in His existence doesn't change anything. One day, we will each have to answer to God. Yes, the same God some of us choose to ignore during our lives will be quite visible at the end of it. When you stand before Him on that fateful day, what will you say for yourself?

Romans 14:11-12(NLT) - For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

John 3:3(NLT) - Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Why Should We Care About Synthetic DNA?

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This is a continuation from this week's article; "When Man Has Power To Create Life....".

From Faith Science;

On May 20, 2010, Science Express published the research article “Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome” by research scientists of the J. Craig Venter Institute. The next day, Elizabeth Pennisi explained its significance in Science Magazine with her article “Synthetic Genome Brings New Life to Bacterium.” This kindled a worldwide media firestorm and people’s imagination ran wild. If the results could be confirmed, the possibilities were endless.

The Financial Times headline read, “Scientists Create Synthetic Life Form with a Computer and Four Bottles of Chemicals.” The New York Times released, “Synthetic Bacterial Genome Takes Over a Cell, Researchers Report.” The Wall Street Journal stated, “Scientists Create Synthetic Organism.” The Economist in London read, “And Man Made Life: The First Artificial Organism and its Consequences.” A headline in the German newspaper DIE ZEIT read, “Humans can now Play Creators.”

The German Academy of Science and Engineering published the following list of applications for synthetic biology in 2009:

1. The chemical enzymatic synthesis of nucleic acid and complete genomes. The specific modification and optimization of gene sequences has the potential to lead to gene-therapy products and DNA vaccines.

2. The construction of cells with a minimal genome. This genetic platform, which is reduced to the essential life functions, can be used as a “chassis” for establishing new functions.

3. The synthesis of protocells, i.e. artificial systems constructed according to biological and physical principles, which can serve as models for living cells.

4. The production of biomolecules using genetic engineering approaches to bring together complete metabolic reaction pathways according to modular design principle.

5. The design of regulatory circuits with sensitive sensory functions to control cellular and industrial process chains or networks.

6. The use of modified cellular machines in orthogonal systems. This might enable the production of polymer compounds from chemical constituents according to the drawing-board principle. Orthogonality refers to the possibility of combining independent components and is an important construction principle in the technological and computer sciences.

“Engineers of Life:” Nanowerk Nanotechnology News Email Digest, June 15, 2010

Sometimes, the position of the church on many of these issues is so far to the right that we are completely left out of the discussion. Everybody else gets to state their case while we remain outside the loop, clueless to what’s going on. Anybody who is completely one sided tends to become irrelevant. Synthetic life does not disprove God, so the atheist position is irrelevant and all synthetic biologists are not guaranteed a place in hell, so that religious, fanatic position is also irrelevant.

The fact is that the science behind this is real, and the truth is that the scriptures which point toward it are also real. This is why I believe it’s time to take this discussion to a more balanced position. In synthetic biology, faith and the scientific method collide to form “faith science.” Gather the facts from the research and the truth from the Scriptures; then develop an informed position.

He who answers a matter before he hears the facts—it is folly and shame to him.
Proverbs 18:13 amp

Coffee Shop Conversations (Atlanta) - The Book of Revelation

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From Revelation Unplugged;

Revelation 1:1-3(NLT) - This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

The Book of Revelation is a prophecy to The Church. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. Unlike any other, it comes with a specific blessing. Hence, if you read it aloud, listen to it and obey what it says, the blessing of Revelation will be yours.

It was revealed to me by a very knowledgeable teacher during a Bible class that Revelation is both chronological and parenthetical. Chronological references are arranged in the order of occurrence while parenthetical references are included as explanations or illustrations of certain key events. Therefore, everything doesn’t necessarily take place in the sequence that it is written.

In addition, these specific references were identified as parenthetical; Revelation 7:1-17, Revelation 10:1-11:13, Revelation 12:1-14:20, Revelation 17:1-19:10 and Revelation 21:9-22:5. As a result, since these references were written to enhance our understanding of this book, if they are removed, everything else should be in order. Here is a summary of events in chronological order:

1. Message to The Churches - Revelation 1:3 to 3:22

2. Worship in Heaven - Revelation 4:1-11

3. The First Six Seals - Revelation 5:1 to 6:17

4. The Seventh Seal -

• The First Six Trumpets - Revelation 8:1 to 9:21
• The Seventh Trumpet (The Resurrection) - Revelation 11:14 - 19
• The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath - Revelation 15:1 to 16:21
• Armageddon - Revelation 19:11 to 20:3

5. The Millennium - Revelation 20:1-6

6. Satanic Rebellion - Revelation 20:7-10

7. The Great White Throne Judgment - Revelation 20:11-15

8. A New Heaven and Earth - Revelation 21:1-8

Revelation 22:18-19(NLT) - And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

The Book of Revelation is also the only book of The Bible that comes with a curse. Anything added to or taken away from the truth of this book will incur the wrath of God. In fact, removing parts of this book is enough for the violator to lose his place in heaven. Therefore, I don’t take my responsibility lightly. I gladly accept the challenge and even though the risk is great, the rewards are worth it. If you’re ready, I’ll borrow this line from my father; “Read at the risk of being transformed!”

When Man Has Power To Create Life....

This is a continuation from last week's article; "Synthetic DNA and The Image of The Beast".

From Faith Science;

Is Synthetic Life Morally Acceptable?

After President Obama issued his statement in response to the big announcement from J. Craig Venter Institute, Craig Venter was asked to testify before the US House Committee on Energy and Research. Of course, he provided all the right answers about the benefits of synthetic life, but it does take a high level of naïveté to not see where this is going. For every lofty intention that’s portrayed before the public, there’s some ulterior motive brewing beneath the surface. Guest columnist for Christian Post, R. Albert Mohler Jr gave a stirring analysis of this issue in the article “Has Man Created Life?”

Venter, never one to underplay his achievements, described the transformed cell as “the first self-replicating species we’ve had on the planet whose parent is a computer.” He added, “This is a philosophical advance as much as a technical advance.” But what kind of philosophical advance? Writing at The Guardian [London], Andrew Brown described “this moment of complete victory for materialism,” noting that atheists would point to the announcement as evidence that there is no need for a divine Creator. David Baltimore, another influential scientist, described Venter’s achievement as “a technological tour de force,” but rejected the claim that Venter had created life. “He has not created life, only mimicked it,” he told The New York Times. On the other hand, University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Arthur Caplan described the achievement of Venter’s team as “one of the most important scientific achievements in the history of mankind.” He told The Financial Times: “Venter’s achievement would seem to extinguish the argument that life requires a special force or power to exist.”

—“Has Man Created Life?” by R. Albert Mohler Jr, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and guest columnist for Christian Post, Friday, May 28, 2010

When a man makes a genome and puts it in a cell, does that disprove God’s existence? Who made the man and who made the cell? So why would anyone claim this as a victory for atheists? That’s the vitriol that fills the atmosphere with each announcement like this. People with an agenda that opposes God use anything they can to fuel their disgust for all things godly. Mohler was able to capture in his article the attitude that accompanies synthetic biology. Some of the fiercest critics of the Christian faith are not research scientists, yet they conveniently use scientific research to make a case for what they believe.

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
Titus 1:15–16 nlt

Based on the Bible, morality is judged solely by intentions. For instance, the same nuclear technology that was developed to produce sustainable, clean energy was also used to create nuclear weapons. Technology is neither good nor bad. The people who use it are the standard bearers of morality. Yes, there are tremendous potential benefits to humanity, but when DNA can be written on a computer to control life, who is going to determine the content?

At some point, this process will be replicated worldwide, just like DNA cloning, and there will be no way to control what direction it takes. The purpose of scientific publication is to share the stepwise approach to research findings so they could be replicated and proven to work. Once the process is out there, other scientists can follow the steps and get comparable results. Instead of repeating the same research, other scientists build on what’s been published and take it to another level. Synthetic life in a bacterial cell has already been announced, so it won’t be big news anymore. They have no choice now but to take this a step further.

The new “synthetic biology” epitomized by the Venter Institute’s work—in essence the ability to design new genetic code on computers and then “download” it into living organisms—heralds a new era of potentially transformative technology innovation. As if to underline this, the US House
of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce heard testimony from Craig Venter and others on the technology’s potential yesterday—just days after last week’s announcement. But the technology also raises serious ethical and safety concerns: Is it right and proper to meddle with the fundamental basis of life? What happens if the technology gets into the
wrong hands? And what might occur when synthetic life meets the natural world?
—“The Future Safety of Synthetic Biology” by Andrew Maynard, Director of the Risk Science Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies on May 28, 2010.

Do you want to know what will happen when the technology gets into the wrong hands and synthetic life meets the natural world? Read the book of Revelation. In Revelation 13:11–18, a man will have the power to give life and will use it to wreak global havoc. We can pray, fast, fill out petitions, write letters to Congress, march in Washington, and do whatever we can, but it will not be stopped. The federal government won’t stop it, scientists won’t stop it, and God won’t stop it either. We just have to deal with it. Until then, let’s remain sober concerning the future while we consider the potential benefits of synthetic biology.

Scientific Evidence of The Spirit Realm?

On November 11, 2009, the headline on CNN.com said, “Huge $10 billion collider resumes hunt for God particle.” That article, written by CNN reporter Elizabeth Landau, pushed atomic and molecular physics to the forefront of popular culture for at least one day. The story highlights read as follows: “The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will circulate a beam around the tunnel within two weeks. CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) scientists say an electrical failure caused a major shut-down of the collider in September 2008. The full scientific program for the LHC will probably last more than 20 years. The LHC will look for the Higgs boson, quarks, gluons and other small particles.”

Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva along the Franco-Swiss border with the Large Hadron Collider and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FERMILAB) near Chicago, Illinois, with the Tevatron Collider have been actively involved in some important research. In an effort to identify the source of mass, they are currently seeking ways to definitively isolate the Higgs Boson, or God Particle. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the Higgs Boson is “a hypothetical elementary particle that has zero spin and large mass that is required by some gauge theories to account for the masses of other elementary particles.”

Scientists believe that The Higgs Boson or God Particle gives all particles mass. By seeking to isolate it at CERN and FERMILAB they are attempting to prove that mass is not inherent in elementary particles. Hence, the mass of a particle doesn't define its existence.

The air we breathe, cell phone signals, television signals, satellites and sound are all invisible. Hence, visibility doesn't define existence. Therefore, invisible, massless matter does exist.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1-3(KJV) - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

I believe that there's a connection between what scientists are saying and what The Bible says. What if there's a scientific way to explain the possibility of the spirit realm existing simultaneously to the natural? As a result, while we live our natural lives there is invisible, massless activity taking place all around us that's no less real than what we experience with our five senses. Think about it!

Donnell Duncan Explains Faith Science

Synthetic DNA and The Image of The Beast

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In addition, every month we meet on the last Saturday for The Faith Science Experience at AMLI at Milton Park, 26000 Mill Creek Ave, Alpharetta GA 30022. Our next meeting is Saturday, May 28th at 2:00PM and our topic will be "Synthetic Life" which is Chapter 4 fom the book, Faith Science. You can order your copy at the following link; FAITH SCIENCE.

From Faith Science;

My company, Synthetic Genomics, Inc., is already trying to develop cassettes—modules of genes—to turn an organism into a biofactory that could make clean hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water or soak up more carbon dioxide. From there I want to take us far from shore into unknown waters, to a new phase of evolution, to the day when one DNA-based species can sit down at a computer to design another. I plan to show that we understand the software of life by creating true artificial life.
—J. Craig Venter, “A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life”
(Viking Adult; First Edition, October 18, 2007)

On May 20, 2010, Science Express published the research article “Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome” by research scientists of the J. Craig Venter Institute. The next day, Elizabeth Pennisi explained its significance in Science Magazine with her article “Synthetic Genome Brings New Life to Bacterium.” This kindled a worldwide media firestorm and people’s imagination ran wild. If the results could be confirmed, the possibilities were endless.

The Financial Times headline read, “Scientists Create Synthetic Life Form with a Computer and Four Bottles of Chemicals.” The New York Times released, “Synthetic Bacterial Genome Takes Over a Cell, Researchers Report.” The Wall Street Journal stated, “Scientists Create Synthetic Organism.” The Economist in London read, “And Man Made Life: The First Artificial Organism and its Consequences.” A headline in the German newspaper DIE ZEIT read, “Humans can now Play Creators.”

Instead of jumping to conclusions, I chose to read the facts for myself. After sifting through a host of sensational commentaries, I located the original research paper in Science Express and the May 20, 2010 press release, “First Self-Replicating Synthetic Bacterial Cell” from J. Craig Venter Institute’s Web site. The White House wasted no time when the story broke. That same day, President Barack Obama issued the following statement in a letter to Dr. Amy Gutmann, President, and Christopher H. Browne, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania:

As you know, scientists have announced a milestone in the emerging field of cellular and genetic research known as synthetic biology. While scientists have used DNA to develop genetically modified cells for many years, for the first time, all of the natural genetic material in a bacterial cell has been replaced with a synthetic set of genes. This development raises the prospect of important benefits, such as the ability to accelerate vaccine development. At the same time, it raises genuine concerns, and so we must consider carefully the implications of this research.

I therefore request that the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues undertake, as its first order of business, a study of the implications of this scientific milestone, as well as other advances that may lie ahead in this field of research. In its study, the Commission should consider the potential medical, environmental, security, and other benefits of this field of research, as well as any potential health, security or other risks.

Further, the Commission should develop recommendations about any actions the Federal government should take to ensure that America reaps the benefits of this developing field of science while identifying appropriate ethical boundaries and minimizing identified risks. My Science and Technology Advisor, Dr. John P. Holdren, will be in communication with
you about the scope and progress of your study.
—President Barack Obama, White House, Washington,
DC, May 20, 2010

The Human Genome Project defines a genome on their website as “all the DNA in an organism, including its genes.” They continue to say, “Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, how well its body metabolizes food or fights infection, and sometimes even how it behaves.” DNA is a combination of four chemicals called bases abbreviated A, T, C, and G, which form the building blocks of all life. The order of how these bases are paired determines life’s diversity. The human genome has three billion base pairs, so identifying a complete genome is no easy task.

In simple terms, the scientists at J. Craig Venter Institute designed a complete synthetic genome on a computer and assembled it in a yeast cell. They then isolated it from the yeast cell and transplanted it into a bacterial cell which had its own genome destroyed. After surmounting several hurdles in the process, the cell responded to the instructions from the synthetic genome. It then began replicating to make a new set of proteins. This process was different to cloning because the genome did not come from another organism. It was the creation of synthetic life because it was designed on a computer.

To the untrained eye, this furor seems unwarranted. What’s the big deal? What they did was on such a small scale that it doesn’t change anything in our day-to-day lives. That might be true if all we lived for was today. This scientific breakthrough will change our lives in the future. According to the May 21, 2010, article in Science Magazine, the project lasted fifteen years and cost an estimated forty million dollars. Obviously, it’s significant, because the money is coming from somewhere. All life, including human life, comes from a self-replicating cell that responds to instructions from its genome. If they can create fully functional genomes on a computer already, it’s a very big deal.


What Does the Bible Say about Synthetic Life?

Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
Revelation 13:11–18 nlt (emphasis mine)

The Bible says, “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15 kjv). One day, mankind will have the power to give life to something inanimate. Synthetic life was prophesied by the Apostle John thousands of years before the technology was developed to make it happen. The Christian viewpoint on synthetic life really is not hard to locate. If the Bible is the book upon which we base our position, then it gives us the answer. Synthetic biology is an inevitability. Revelation 13:15 is a symbolic representation of this.

If scientists at J. Craig Venter Institute can assemble a synthetic genome in a yeast cell after fifteen years of research in 2010, what will be possible fifteen years later, in 2025? Living in denial doesn’t change the future. In the quote to start this chapter, J. Craig Venter undoubtedly stated his true intentions in his book “A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life” and is well on his way to seeing it happen. On the molecular level, they can already give life to a bacterial cell and absolutely nothing can stop them from extending their research to human cells. In fact, I believe it’s probably already been done and we just don’t know about it.

Our synthetic genomic approach stands in sharp contrast to a variety of other approaches to genome engineering that modify natural genomes by introducing multiple insertions, substitutions, or deletions (18–22). This work provides a proof of principle for producing cells based upon genome sequences designed in a computer. DNA sequencing of a cellular genome allows storage of the genetic instructions for life as a digital file. If the methods described here can be generalized, design, synthesis, assembly, and transplantation of synthetic chromosomes will no longer be a barrier to the progress of synthetic biology.
—Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome by Daniel Gibson et al of The J. Craig Venter Institute published on May 20, 2010 in Science Express

I released the book Revelation Unplugged: Decoding the Book of Revelation in 2009. I studied the book of Revelation in detail and connected it with other parts of the Bible that covered the same areas of Bible prophecy. At the time, I looked at everything with a very religious eye. I had no idea that within my lifetime, science would actually catch up to what has only lived in the imagination of Christians for thousands of years. I interpreted Revelation 13:15 from a religious perspective. Now I see that many scriptures like these contain underlying themes that are unfolding before our very eyes. They have already given life to a bacterial cell and may do the same with a human cell within our lifetime.