Join Ira Flatow on the next Science Friday for a conversation with genome pioneer Craig Venter about how his team has transplanted a bacterial genome from one cell into another. The work, reported this week in the journal Science, could mark the first steps towards being able to create artificial life by inserting an entirely synthetic genome into a bacterial cell. Is it possible to create life from scratch? And is it right?

Plus, researchers derive a new type of mouse stem cell that's a closer match to human cells. We'll talk with one of the researchers about how the work could be used to advance medical research. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
J. Craig Venter
Founder and President
J. Craig Venter Institute
Rockville, Maryland

Mildred Cho
Associate Director, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Stanford University Medical Center
Palo Alto, California

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Ron McKay
Senior Investigator, Laboratory of Molecular Biology
National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth