UK Scientists Create Human DNA
Wellcome Trust’s £10m SynHG initiative, led by Professor Jason Chin, unites UK universities to develop tools for synthetic human chromosomes while integrating global ethical dialogue.
A groundbreaking scientific initiative called SynHG (Synthetic Human Genome) has been launched with £10 million in funding from the Wellcome Trust to develop tools and technologies needed to synthesize human DNA from scratch, potentially revolutionizing biotechnology and medical treatments while raising significant ethical questions about the future of human genome engineering.
The ambitious five-year SynHG project brings together researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Kent, Manchester, Oxford, and Imperial College London under the leadership of Professor Jason Chin, who also serves as the founding Director of the Generative Biology Institute at the Ellison Institute of Technology. While synthesizing a complete human genome could take decades, the team's initial goal is to create a fully synthetic human chromosome—representing about 2% of our total DNA—within the next five to ten years. This proof-of-concept would establish methods for making small changes to chromosome sequences with minimal impact on protein production.
The project incorporates cutting-edge technologies, with Professor Patrick Yizhi Cai of the University of Manchester noting they are "leveraging cutting-edge generative AI and advanced robotic assembly technologies to revolutionize synthetic mammalian chromosome engineering." Alongside the scientific work, SynHG includes a dedicated social science program called "Care-full Synthesis," led by Professor Joy Zhang at the University of Kent, which will actively explore the socio-ethical implications through global engagement with diverse communities using an approach they call "ODESSI" (Open, Deliberative, Enabling, Sensible & Sensitive, and Innovative). This integrated approach aims to ensure that as the technology advances, ethical considerations remain at the forefront of development.
The Wellcome Trust has committed £10 million to fund the Synthetic Human Genome Project (SynHG), positioning it at the forefront of one of the most exciting frontiers in scientific research. This significant investment aims to develop the foundational tools, technologies, and methods that will eventually enable researchers to synthesize human genomes, potentially transforming our understanding of health and disease.
Michael Dunn, Director of Discovery Research at Wellcome, emphasized the project's transformative potential: "Our DNA determines who we are and how our bodies work. Through creating the necessary tools and methods to synthesise a human genome, we will answer questions about our health and disease that we cannot even anticipate yet." The funding supports not only the scientific endeavors but also the integrated "Care-full Synthesis" social science program, ensuring ethical considerations remain central as researchers work toward achievements that could one day lead to virus-resistant tissue transplantation, designer cell-based therapies, and solutions for biodiversity and food security challenges.
Professor Jason Chin, the visionary leader of the SynHG project, brings exceptional credentials to this pioneering initiative. As a Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB) and Head of the Centre for Chemical & Synthetic Biology (CCSB), Chin has established himself as a preeminent figure in synthetic biology. His recent appointment as the Founding Director of the Generative Biology Institute (GBI) at the Ellison Institute of Technology in Oxford further cements his position at the forefront of engineering biology.
Chin's distinguished career includes undergraduate studies at Oxford, a PhD from Yale as a Fulbright grantee, and a fellowship at Scripps Research Institute. His groundbreaking work has earned numerous prestigious accolades, including the Francis Crick Prize from the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry's Corday Morgan Prize, and EMBO's Gold Medal. Under his leadership, the SynHG project aims to develop foundational tools for human genome synthesis that could "transform our understanding of genome biology and profoundly alter the horizons of biotechnology and medicine," reflecting his commitment to advancing scientific knowledge while simultaneously addressing ethical considerations through collaborative, global engagement.