Scientists have put a Gif into the DNA of a living bacteria cell

Scientists have put a Gif into the DNA of a living bacteria cell.

You might call it the smallest movie ever made.

This week, a team of scientists report that they have successfully embedded a short film into the DNA of living bacteria cells.

The mini-movie, really a GIF, is a five-frame animation of a galloping thoroughbred mare named Annie G. The iconic images were taken by the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge in the late 1800s for his photo series titled Human and Animal Locomotion.

www.latimes.com...

Lots of info can be encoded and stored in synthesized DNA. DNA makes for good archival storage. The story gets pretty deep, but the long story is this could be a blessing or a curse.

Scientists had already shown that a great deal of information can be encoded and stored in synthesized DNA. For example, Shipman’s boss, George Church, a molecular chemist and engineer at Harvard, once converted an entire book into a strand of genetic code.

“DNA has a lot of properties that are good for archival storage,” Shipman said. “It’s much more stable than silicon memory if you wanted to hold something for thousands of years.”

My question is does our DNA have any "hidden" info, and how can this be weaponized?

I can hear it now "Alien mummy DNA filled with Michael Bay gifs"

a reply to: seasonal

Not really sure why your first question is: how can we weaponize it? I guess maybe because we're a very belligerent violent species, for the most part.

I think it's interesting, and my first question is: what could be hidden in our own "junk" DNA?

I think all the radio signals flying around have already imprinted information on our DNA. I hate the new digital transmissions, I could understand the analog better. Maybe I need to get a converter to stick on my head, a specially designed hat that translates the signal.

Oh wait, I forgot, now all the brainwashing doesn't work anymore. I kind of miss that brainwashed feeling.

Video or it didn't happen!

a reply to: kelbtalfenek

My question is does our DNA have any "hidden" info, and how can this be weaponized?

My first question was the possibility of hidden stuff in our DNA as well....

DNA. The GIF that keeps on giving!

LOL!

Densely packing data is a mainstay of computer science. From the first, relatively limited, computers using vacuum tubes to simple 8-bit machine, to the Apollo mission, they are always trying to do more with less. This announcement is "gee that's cool" kind of a science story.

As far as applications go? Not sure. I think it is demo of CRISPR and how it can read DNA sequences more than anything. IF they can re-write DNA at high enough speed... well, there is your sci-fi doom porn right there.

They also animated one (horse galloping). But they had to reconstruct it from multiple bacteria.

Source: gizmodo.com - Scientists Code an Animated GIF Into DNA.

So our DNA is digital? That's extremely fascinating. If there's a code then there has to be a coder, right?

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

DNA uses C, A, G, T nucleic acids so you can "encode" a "1" or "0" into fairly easily. You just have to decide how to "encode/decode" your sequence. Binary is the easiest one to encode (1 or 0). Ever see that movie, "Gattaca"? See what they did with title? The used DNA to create a word that is the premise in the movie about being "genetically inferior"!

I don't think that science answers the "where is the coder" question. We are still figuring this stuff out. Remember the "junk DNA" comments when the human genome was being sequenced? Turns out not all of that was really "junk" (useless) DNA. You can think of some of it as a really complex stop sign.

@seasonal, there are probably some things in DNA that we do not know what function it provides. It is like code in program that is not activated. Maybe one day?

So then living things could be created with secret messages stored in their DNA. It's going to happen, my bet.

Use it to carry security credentials or the key to some encrypted data. I bet the government will find quite a few uses.

Fun and cool experiment turns out to become an active and replicating virus that wipes out humanity..

originally posted by: seasonal
Scientists have put a Gif into the DNA of a living bacteria cell.

You might call it the smallest movie ever made.

This week, a team of scientists report that they have successfully embedded a short film into the DNA of living bacteria cells.

The mini-movie, really a GIF, is a five-frame animation of a galloping thoroughbred mare named Annie G. The iconic images were taken by the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge in the late 1800s for his photo series titled Human and Animal Locomotion.

www.latimes.com...

Lots of info can be encoded and stored in synthesized DNA. DNA makes for good archival storage. The story gets pretty deep, but the long story is this could be a blessing or a curse.

Scientists had already shown that a great deal of information can be encoded and stored in synthesized DNA. For example, Shipman’s boss, George Church, a molecular chemist and engineer at Harvard, once converted an entire book into a strand of genetic code.

“DNA has a lot of properties that are good for archival storage,” Shipman said. “It’s much more stable than silicon memory if you wanted to hold something for thousands of years.”

My question is does our DNA have any "hidden" info, and how can this be weaponized?

I believe DNA is a storage device and if you re-read that part of holding data for thousands of years how can you disagree. That said have we learned then the language of a creator or if there is messages hidden within our DNA? If We have is either the retrieval processes is broken or the message is damaged...as who is supposed to be receiving the message? Reminds me of V'ger...

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
I don't think that science answers the "where is the coder" question. We are still figuring this stuff out. Remember the "junk DNA" comments when the human genome was being sequenced? Turns out not all of that was really "junk" (useless) DNA. You can think of some of it as a really complex stop sign.

Yes the non-coding DNA isn't all junk, it contains "switches" that turn the coding DNA on and off or affect timing so I guess you could call that a complex stop sign. This video covers some significant discoveries in that regard:



Apparently it's hard to find those switches.

One thing that must be encoded into some DNA in ways we don't understand yet is some instinctive behavior that offspring are born knowing how to do without being taught by the parent. I would say that's a type of encoded information. If the animal is a predator and the DNA programmed behavior is how to kill the prey then I'd say the encoded information is already weaponized in that case.

Here's an article about inherited memories with epigenetic origins, where the children who never met their father have some knowledge passed on from the father through genes:

Mice Inherit Specific Memories, Because Epigenetics?

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Thats the lie they want you to believe.

Its half digital. Half analogue.