The latest New Yorker explores the work of synthetic biologists, who are using gene-sequence information and synthetic DNA in an attempt “to reconfigure the metabolic pathways of cells to perform entirely new functions, such as manufacturing chemicals and drugs.” Eventually, writes author Michael Specter, the scientists intend to construct genes—and new forms of life—from scratch.

The scientists are amassing so-called “BioBricks,” each part of which is made of standardized pieces of DNA that can be used interchangeably to create and modify living cells. One of the researchers likens BioBricks to the “plug-and-play” system on which the electronics industry operates: “When your hard drive dies, you can go to the nearest computer store, buy a new one, and swap it out,” he says.

Synthetic biology is already being used to increase the supply of an effective anti-malarial drug. As Specter observes, the potential of the field is enormous, though how exactly advances will play out is unknown:

No scientific achievement has promised so much, and none has come with greater risks or clearer possibilities for deliberate abuse. The benefits of new technologies—from genetically engineered food to the wonders of pharmaceuticals—often have been oversold. If the tools of synthetic biology succeed, though, they could turn specialized molecules into tiny, self-contained factories, creating cheap drugs, clean fuels, and new organisms to siphon carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.