Annanova has a brief article on how scientists can synthesize designer proteins with computers. This could bring a scientific revolution that could lead to of all things, Synthetic Biology. These designer proteins could be used as sentinels to detect TNT or nerve agent or other hazardous chemicals and could even be used to detect glucose levels in diabetes patients. These synthetic proteins could be used as sensors in robots to sniff out chemicals in various hard to reach places like on the ocean floor. This breakthrough could even allow for custom antibody-like proteins to attack specific diseases with surgical precision. 15 years of research into protein synthesis are beginning to pay off.
It seems that Blade Runner type technology to build replicants is not very far away and let's hope that they have built in a time limits! Of course, if they go and create rogue proteins like those that cause Mad Cow disease, we'll all be in trouble. Unless they can create good proteins that detect the bad rogue proteins and somehow annihilate each other before it gets out of hand.