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Why was Mycoplasma genitalium chosen for early synthetic-genome experiments?

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synthetic biology; Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 — synthetic biology A scanning electron micrograph of cells of *Mycoplasma mycoides* JCVI-syn1.0—a synthetic bacterium.

Mycoplasma genitalium was selected for early synthetic biology experiments because it is the simplest naturally occurring bacterium capable of being grown in vitro under laboratory conditions.1

Its genome is exceptionally small, consisting of only 482 protein-coding genes and 43 RNA-coding genes. This minimal genetic makeup made it an ideal candidate for researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) to study the "minimal cell" concept—the hypothesis that a reduced set of genes is sufficient to sustain life. By identifying and removing non-essential genes, scientists aimed to create a simplified "chassis" that could serve as a foundation for engineering customized bacteria for practical applications, such as biofuel production or environmental remediation.12