Cool stuff. The eventual applications of being able to scramble all genes in yeast will be a massive achievement not only for science, but for manufacturing, environmentalism, healthcare and just about every field will be touched in some capacity. 20 years from now, this world is going to be drastically different, in no small part due to advancements like this.
they will be able to design it for a whole bunch of uses, some may be for producing diesel or synthesizing medications, they may be used to eat plastics so they could be used to remove the huge garbage patches in the ocean, or be made to eat oil and used to clean up oil spills. Not just yeast, but the knowledge gained here will then be applicable to just about every other organism, like bacteria which might be more easily harnessed for certain tasks than yeast. I understand the worry, that there could be unintended consequences, likely there will be some over the course of time, but the more we learn about yeast and their genes, the more likely we will be able to apply the science correctly and benefit the world.
There have always been things we didn't intend to have or know would happen. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge or those French jetliners that fell apart mid flight. THIS type of stuff, who knows what is going to happen. What happens if something that eats plastic gets out of control? I Am Legend was a good movie, probably something like that will end humanity if war doesn't.
