Peter I do see that the two are analogous, however the fact remains that these achievements are done in the lab with intelligent direction and purpose in mind. When something can force "best suited change" as you point out, that means there is purpose and intelligence at hand as far as I'm concerned, which, goes directly against what the TOE implies.
Your reference to 3 billion years is also in fact a Huge stumbling block for me and the TOE. Peter I honestly believe that, the odds of a single celled organism to, in a directionless process, without purpose, without power, modify through untold trillions of slight changes, into the human species, in the span of 3-5 billion years; are about the same odds as you choosing the correct numbers to win every drawing, of every lottery, in every country of the world, for every day, of the rest of your life....... go with mutuals!!
We have seen in every day life that the processes required to build new, complex, and unique systems are always developed with great difficulty and many failures along the way, and most definately ONLY through intelligence, purpose, and power are these processes accomplished. I see no reason how the TOE could be exempt from any part of this reality, especially the latter part and this is why the TOE is invalid. To rely on chance changes only as the explanation to life on earth is an insult to the realities of intelligence, purpose and power, all of which we all possess and make use of.
To think that all creationists refuse to adhere to the TOE based on Spiritual beliefs alone is rediculous, especially in my case. As a researchaholic I make no conclusions with out looking at and trying to fully understand the facts as they are, period. I certainly have not been able to read everything or for that matter been able to fully understand everything in science, but I am trying, and have a good understanding in this area. Based on what I've read and been able to understand of science, I still see no possibilty of the TOE as a paradigm of why we are what we are, and in fact, the more I read of molecular biology the more I'm convinced of this....Perhaps I'm too much of a realist and should stop reading? LOL. J/K!
BTW: Percy..You may say that science proves nothing...But I believe it is the only mechanism by which anything natural can be proven and it has proven much. Thank God.
Respectfully, Paul.