Scientists revealed that synthetic biology has diverse uses, as it can be used to make nonpolluting fuel, instant vaccines against new diseases and inexpensive medicines. The technology fails to pose immediate environmental, security or ethical concerns, as per the researchers, an ethicist and members of Congress.

A team at the J. Craig Venter Institute used an artificially synthesized genome to resurrect a bacterium that had its own hereditary material hollowed out. Venter called the work "a baby step" in the field of synthetic biology and said, ""It is not life from scratch".

Venter, who founded the institute said, "Our optimistic estimates are that it is going to be at least a decade before there are replacements for gasoline and diesel fuel". His privately held Synthetic Genomics Inc. has a contract with Exxon Mobil Corp to try to make algae that can manufacture biofuel.

Jay Keasling of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California shared that vaccine maker Sanofi Aventis has licensed technology to make engineered brewer's yeast that produces the anti-malarial drug artemisinin.

He added that new vaccines could be designed in the computer. But he defended moves to copyright the technology. He said, "This is clearly the first life form out of a computer and invented by humans".