Scientists have made the world's first synthetic DNA, the molecule that forms the blueprint for life.

The breakthrough means that the first artificial organism may be 'born' within two years. This raises the prospects of human redesigning whole species, including themselves.
The DNA was created at the University of Texas where the researchers have mapped out the exact way it will be configured to make Synthetic Organism One (SO1). According to Prof. Glen Evans, director of the university's genome science and technology centre, SO1 will have no specific function, but once it is alive it can be customized by just going to the computer and changing a gene and create new life forms by pressing a button.

The researchers are planning to create a series of designer bugs, with super effficient mechanisms for infecting target tissues such as cancer tumors and then killing them. Some bugs may be created to infect human gut to produce vitamin C.

The researchers' success lies in having found a way to create long chains of DNA. Such chains are made up of four types of molecule which join up in two-somes known as "base pairs". The base pairs then link to form a ladder that twists into the famous DNA double helix. In nature, one chain of DNA can contain hundreds of thousands of base pairs. Until now the scientists have found it impossible to join together more than 100.

Evans's team has broken this barrier with a technique that first creates short chains of DNA and then joins them together in a controllable way. The scientists are close to achieving chains containing 100,000 base pairs - enough to form the basis for life forms.

Critics haowever have warned that the scientists risk unleashing a microbe master race with increased power to infect humans and wildlife.