This is an incredible post, OP. Many thanks.

I have never bought into the bath salts theory; too many things didn't match for that to be the cause. I wasn't even aware of this research going on, and it's something I try to keep my ear to the ground about.

In 2002, Eckard Wimmer of the State University of New York at Stony Brook synthesized the genome of the polio virus: [link to www.nytimes.com]

In 2003, JCVI produced a bacteriophage virus (a virus which can infect a bacteria): [link to www.jcvi.org]

I noticed a post here that mentioned mutation, and that they don't know if Synthia will mutate or not. Since all life mutates eventually on this planet, I think we can assume that answer to be yes, it will mutate. How long it will take is the real question. Influenza mutates every two years, and will mutate in one of two directions, but they don't know which direction. They have to guess when they make their flu vaccine. Sometimes they guess wrong.

Just in case people are missing something, I want to mention that genetic change is usually accomplished through a virus. It sounds as if JCVI has found a way to create genetic change through bacterium. One added thing to worry about aside from the illness it may cause is that this could change your very genetic makeup.

If you want something to back my claim, we already use gene therapy. This usually involves using a virus to alter a specific gene: [link to www.ornl.gov]

How's that for scary?