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Scientists from Yale and Harvard have recoded the entire genome of an organism and improved a bacterium’s ability to resist viruses, a dramatic demonstration of the potential of rewriting an organism’s genetic code. “This is the first time the genetic code has been fundamentally changed,” said Farren Isaacs, assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Yale and co-senior author of the research published Oct. 18 in the journal Science. “Creating an organism with a new genetic code has allowed us to expand the scope of biological function in a number of powerful ways.”
In the new study, the researchers working with E. coli swapped a codon and eliminated its natural stop sign that terminates protein production. The new genome enabled the bacteria to resist viral infection by limiting production of natural proteins used by viruses to infect cells. Isaacs — working with Marc Lajoie of Harvard, Alexis Rovner of Yale, and colleagues — then converted the “stop” codon into one that encodes new amino acids and inserted it into the genome in a plug-and-play fashion.
The work now sets the stage to convert the recoded bacterium into a living foundry, capable of biomanufacturing new classes of “exotic” proteins and polymers. These new molecules could lay the foundation for a new generation of materials, nanostructures, therapeutics, and drug delivery vehicles, Isaacs said.
“Since the genetic code is universal, it raises the prospect of recoding genomes of other organisms,” Isaacs said. “This has tremendous implications in the biotechnology industry and could open entirely new avenues of research and applications.”
rickymouse
Is this insane or does insanity now rule the world making it common practice. What if terrorists got hold of this kind of technology? It wouldn't be hard, the college is bragging about the technology
symptomoftheuniverse
I may be a bit negative but the words"frankenstein's monster" and "pandoras box" spring to mind. Those egyption half animal/humans suddenely do not look so far fetched.
Science like this is the same as giving a monkey a loaded gun. S and f
Marsupilami
Food Replicators anyone?
Yeah, one-liner, I suck.
...This is the real nano technology why the hell do you waste time trying to engineer little machines when you can reprogram the ones mother nature has already made which are stronger cheaper faster and easier to make. ...
soficrow
reply to post by TiM3LoRd
...This is the real nano technology why the hell do you waste time trying to engineer little machines when you can reprogram the ones mother nature has already made which are stronger cheaper faster and easier to make. ...
It's funny how most info like this is considered too esoteric for the masses. Unless it's watered down and explained simplistically most people either don't care or don't get it.
SSSHHHHHH!!!!!
S&F& : up :
edit on 22/10/13 by soficrow because: format
..Unless it's watered down and explained simplistically most people either don't care or don't get it.
TiM3LoRd
Think more programmed robots the size of bacteria....actually that's exactly what they are. They might be able to repair and mend DNA but I dont know how complex a task they can carry out.