Just heard news report of artificial mini-chromosomes built by Melbourne
researcher Richard Saffery. Stable for six months of in vitro replication,
they look to be a better vector than viruses for inserting repaired genes
(they can hold much larger genes). These `hacks' are 1/50th the size of
natural chromosomes, and built around a more tractable centromere, found in
the genome of a patient with a mental defect. (`Don't use the mad brain, Dr
Frankenstein! I said-- Aaargh!') Egad.
Damien Broderick
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