The scientific and ethical issues raised here are startling and complex, but the article presents them in a straightforward way and without hyperbole. I'm certain that this is an oversimplification of a hugely complex issue, but it seems like a good starting place.

The reporting is all-encompassing, but I'm with Prof. Laura Hake, Boston Colege, that the synthetic cell that has just been created is a very exciting basic science breakthrough, though I have concerns that there will be a rush to release it into a natural environment. There are many disturbing examples of other types of artificial constructions, like GEO crops and over-use of pesticides, that are leading to very significant problems in the balance that needs to be maintained in our ecosystem, for maintaining a healthy planet.

An excellent article that delicately walks the line in offering both technical information and ethical perspective. This story is more thorough than most that have attempted to bring this technology into focus for the lay reader. The ethical controversies are also fairly represented, with little bias that might favor either those who tout this new technology's enormous potential benefits to humankind or those concerned about the tandem dangers of environmental degradation and bioweapons abuse.

This article did a very good job of explaining the debate surrounding this new synthetic cell. I think the audience is not meant to be someone who knows nothing about genetics and the reporter could have potentially explained the science more, but there was probably not enough space given for that.