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Synthia the man-made bacteria


Is "Synthia" the synthetic bacterium connected to spikes in recent flesh-eating bacteria?

What is Synthia?

Something from a mad science fiction novel. Synthia is the brainchild of the J. Craig Venter Institute (which has been engaged in genetic engineering experiments since early 2000’s) and Synthetic Genomics Inc, which ends up being funded directly by BP (more on that in a second.)

Synthia is the synthetic creation of a cell by a biologist and billionaire entrepreneur named Craig Venter. He built “Synthia” - a synthetic cell - from scratch.

Dr. Venter, who was also instrumental in sequencing the human genome, had previously succeeded in transplanting one bug's genome (its entire DNA) into another bacterium, effectively altering its species. In 2009 Synthetic Genomics announced a $600 million research and investment deal with Exxon Mobil for future technology. Additionally, there was a 2007 investment from BP for an undisclosed amount.

In 2010, he took things a step further and synthesizes a DNA code before injecting it into a single bacteria cell. Successfully transplanting his man-made cell.

This involved him reading the DNA of Mycoplasma mycoides (a bug that infects goats) and recreating it piece by piece. The fragments were then "sewn together" and inserted into a bacterium from a different species where it ‘sprang to life’. The bug developed and multiplied, producing entirely artificial generations, which he claims can and will be created to destruct outside of the lab.

The creation of the new life form, which was nicknamed 'Synthia', has certainly paved the way for customized bugs and bioweapons.

The Daily Mail reported in 2010 Dr. Venter’s wish list as being

“bugs capable of producing clean bio fuels and of sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.... but other possibilities include designer microbes that can mop up oil slicks or generate huge quantities of drugs, including the flu vaccine.”

By 2010 BP would certainly have an opportunity to see a return on their investment. By April BP would have a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico of monumental proportions. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster. This turned out to be the largest oil spill in U.S. history releasing approximately 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

It has not been reported anywhere mainstream that Synthia was used during this crisis (more on that in a second.)

Vibrio

Soon after the spill started, tarballs and other forms of weathered oil emerged in large numbers on beaches in Mississippi and Alabama.

Doctor Cova Arias, professor of aquatic microbiology at Auburn University Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures and a vibrio vulnificus expert, set out to discover if vibrio (a form of bacteria deadly to humans which can cause the body to uncontrollably attack its own tissue- and mimics "flesh-eating bacteria" symptoms) were present in the tarballs.

Arias and researchers had been studying this already as they were studying the effects of vibrio on oysters. They decided to look at tarballs that washed into the same areas they had previously analyzed so they could make valid comparisons to before the oil spill.

Arias was the lead writer on this paper which was published online in the journal EcoHealth.

 

The water alone had ten times as much vibrio as before the oil spill

 

The tarballs -- which oil executives and government officials have said are little more than an annoyance -- are teeming with bacteria, including Vibrio, which just so happens to be the leading cause of death from eating bad oysters.

They discovered that the tarballs had up to 100 times more of that distinct bacteria than the water they floated in and 10 times more than the sand they rested on.

It has been reported that Synthia was unleashed in the Gulf of Mexico at this same time while it was still in its initial stages of life. So far, hard evidence to support this is scant. We do know there is a financial connection between the two that started years before the spill. What I can’t find evidence of is that the synthetic bacteria was used in the cleanup process. Which isn’t to say that it wasn’t, I just haven't come across the information. There is always a chance that evidence is suppressed, especially in multi-billion dollar situations.

What the Mainstream media has offered up is this, which I think paints its own horrific picture:

The Huff Post reported that cleanup crews dumped some 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersants into the Gulf of Mexico.

The substances were supposed to assist natural oil-eating bacteria in cleaning up the largest marine oil spill in history by breaking the oil into droplets the microbes could more easily consume.

According to the Tampa Bay Times the chemical sprayed on the 2010 BP oil spill may not have helped crucial petroleum-munching microbes get rid of the slick, though. The oil is estimated to be largely underwater at this point. Some research estimates as little as 2% ever made it to the surface. Other researchers suggest numbers as high as 55%. Either way, the whole picture is elusive.

What seems clear here is that the Oil spill is, at the very least, is directly related to an increase in bacteria that is very harmful to marine life and humans. If it is, in fact, a rogue microbe they cooked up in a lab I can’t find solid evidence to support that theory. Still, the ecosystem in the gulf has been adversely affected because of a corporation and the trickle-down effect from that is very likely to be an increase in human deaths.

Everything is connected and intertwined on this earth. An increase in (even) naturally occurring bacteria put humans who work or play in those areas more likely to come into contact with the bacteria that is now in 100% higher concentrations than it was before. Couple that with the fact that much of the spillage remains unseen and unaccounted for and It seems like our waters will be sick for quite some time. Then, you add in the known weather patterns, such as water from the gulf being carried by clouds and storms and dumped onto nearby land. It isn’t hard to look to this information and wonder if it could solve random phenomenon we are seeing, like birds falling out of the sky bleeding from their eyes. If they are in fact connected however is a totally different story.

If anyone has any information that could help us better understand this topic feel free to comment below.

Sources

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bp-gulf-oil-spill-cleanup_n_564a52f4e4b06037734a7558

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