Scientists can now make living cells with man-made DNA. What are the implications?

Scientists recently announced a bold step in the quest to create artificial life: a living cell powered by man-made DNA has been created and is self replicating. The synthetic cell, produced at the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego, was designed by a computer and made in a lab, which implies that natural DNA is no longer required to create genes. To many, it sounds like researchers have created artificial life.