Can We Create New Organisms by Combining DNA from Multiple Sources?

[roam]

Hi guys,

Biology is not my field but I was just wondering if it is possible to create a specimen using the DNA of more than two other different specimens of the same kind? I am not sure whether the techniques needed to create such a specimen is beyond our science today or not, but I've heard that this will cause the resulting specimen to have extra chromosomes. And this will affect its health. Is that true?

I would greatly appreciate some explanation or perhaps some links.

 

[phungus420]

We are at the technological level now where you can (with a decent, but not too absurd, amount of cash) set up a lab in your garage, do some research on the internet, and splice genes from phosphorescent algae into some other organism and make it glow. No kidding. So yes, you can insert genes from one organism into another, typically this is done by hijacked viruses that insert the desired genes into the genome of the organism. The result is not an extra chromosome, unless you set up the gene insertion that way, and if you start adding new chromosomes to animals you're likely to get a non viable organism, you'd have much more luck doing that to plants.

For more info, I'd recommend looking up "Biohacking".