While he's at it, he'd like to modify or devise microorganisms to produce a steady stream of hydrogen.
Venter also now sports an extensive collection of genetic material scooped from the sea from a three year Darwinesque journey around the world -- and that's the raw material for his alternative fuel project. With $15 million from Mexican venture capitalist Alfonso Romo Garza, he has launched a new company in Rockville called Synthetic Genomics Inc.
This is pretty exciting -- a chance to conserve the earth's limited resources and create alternative fuels -- on the other hand, what sort of risks might be associated with creating such new life form?