I THOUGHT I'd add a little info to the recent news about what the world's newest mad scientists have accomplished.

The new life form 'Syntia', is really just an old one with a new pieced together DNA using the self repair function that cells have naturally.

In nature it's called mutation. In science it's creation?

The bacteria they chose to mess around with is Mycoplasma capricolum.

Which is a causative agent of caprine respiratory diseases, mastitis and severe arthritis. The infection often leads to destructive results in Africa and Asia goat farming industry. Fever is also observed at the end of incubation period. Some subspecies of Mycoplasma capricolum, for example, M. capricolum subsp. mycoides and M. capricolum subsp.capripneumoniae are especially virulent. The morbidity and mortality rate of some subspecies is of 60-70 per cent.

So not dangerous at all to humans and pigs. Just goats and sheep.

The fact that it's also a really small bacteria usually only diagnosed in necropsy should not bother us, nor should the fact that the natural transmission pathway of M. capricolum is through inhalation of infectious droplets.

It only affects goats... and sheep.

It does not infect swine, monkeys or birds. Yet?

Wonder what Professor Franken, err Craig Venter will create next?

BTW. An artificial form of the polio virus and a bacteriophage virus were created in 2003 by said C.Venter.

Do you think he has a cat he likes to stroke? Or perhaps a mini me?

KARSTEN EVANS Ford Street Swindon