A LIFE expectancy of 120, glow-in-the-dark cats and wiping out diseases with the bite of a banana – welcome to life in 2020.
Key ... a computer rendering of part of the human genome.Scientists say this and more is possible within 16 years.
Craig Cormick, from the Federal Government's Biotechnology Australia, said yesterday advances in biotechnology had the ability to provide significant lifestyle changes for humans, including the ability to live 40 years beyond the current average life expectancy.
"The fundamental difference is we'll no longer be treating diseases; we'll be treating wellness," he said yesterday.
"If we can sequence a child's genome when they're born, and by 2020, before they're born, you can test a child's genetic make-up while they're still in the womb and undertake corrective measures."
By 2020 it is predicted medicines will be tailored to a person's own genetic make-up, they will be able to clone their own organs if something goes awry, and be able to slow the ageing process.
"These ones are in the realm of scientific possibility . . . because they're things we're doing at the moment, they're technologies we're starting with or we're doing them in mammals to some extent," Mr Cormick said.
He said biotechnology into the future could include growing crops with vitamins and vaccines to counter health problems such as diabetes, types of cancers, malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.
"We expect by the year 2020 we'll see lots of our foods with increased health attributes," Mr Cormick said.
And the use of biotechnology in the future could mean pets will never be the same again.
"You'll be able to change the colour of your cat or dog," Mr Cormick said. "We already know you can put genes into rabbits and fish and make them glow.
"And it's well within the realms of possibility if people want to have a glow-in-the-dark cat or designer dog."