4th May 2016
The first synthetic human chromosome
Chromosomes are considered the basic structures of heredity. They carry the codes that give rise to the expression of the characteristic features of an organism. Humans have 46 chromosomes. In 1997, a team of scientists J.J. Harrington, G.V. Bokkelen, R.W. Mays, K. Gustashaw, and H.F. Willard synthesized artiļ¬cial chromosomes. These chromosomes are stable up to six weeks. These chromosomes can be used as vectors to carry genes of interest into other cells and for the study of their expression.
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