Synthetic DNA Created, Evolves on Its Own

The National Geographic News ^ | April 19, 2012 | Christine Dell'Amore

[2ndDivisionVet]

Step aside, DNA—new synthetic compounds called XNAs can also store and copy genetic information, a new study says.

And, in a "big advancement," these artificial compounds can also be made to evolve in the lab, according to study co-author John Chaput of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. (See "Evolution vs. Intelligent Design: 6 Bones of Contention.")

Nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA are composed of four bases—A, G, C, and T. Attached to the bases are sugars and phosphates. (Get a genetics overview.)

First, researchers made XNA building blocks to six different genetic systems by replacing the natural sugar component of DNA with one of six different polymers, synthetic chemical compounds.

The team—led by Vitor Pinheiro of the U.K.'s Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology—then evolved enzymes, called polymerases, that can make XNA from DNA, and others that can change XNA back into DNA.

This copying and translating ability allowed for genetic sequences to be copied and passed down again and again—artificial heredity.

Last, the team determined that HNA, one of the six XNA polymers, could respond to selective pressure in a test tube.

As would be expected for DNA, the stressed HNA evolved into different forms.

This shows that "beyond heredity, specific XNAs have the capacity for Darwinian evolution," according to the study, published tomorrow in the journal Science. (Read "Darwin's Legacy" in National Geographic magazine.)

"Thus, heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life, are not limited to DNA and RNA."

XNA Could Demystify Origins of Life?

All of XNA'S actions are "completely controlled by experimentalists—it's 100 percent unnatural," study co-author Chaput noted.

But such control means that scientists can "use [XNA] to ask very basic questions in biology," such as about the origins of life, Chaput said.

For instance, "it's possible that life didn't begin with DNA and proteins like we see today—it may have begun with something much, much simpler," he said.

A scientist could potentially evolve XNA to discover various functions that would have been important for early life.

Overall, he said, the new discovery is "pretty cool—and very powerful."

[muawiyah]

So, how did Nat Geo write God out of the picture when it comes to Quarks, Hadrons, Fermions, Physics, Chemistry?

[muawiyah]

It always does come down to the same old thing ~ slavery.

This will be used as just another excuse for the creation of a race of mutant body servants.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks wildbill. This topic should make WWI's Battle of the Somme look like Keeping Up With The Kardashians. ;') To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Bernard Marx]

This will be used as just another excuse for the creation of a race of mutant body servants.

Brilliant idea - I can hardly wait! Certainly they can take care of humanity's every personal whim. Maybe they can function as a food source too, be thrilled to die on command and provide every taste and flavor desired by the human palate.

We could call them Shmoon (the plural of Shmoo!)

SHMOO

[roamer_1]

Ahh, crap.

As in the days of Noah...

[Quix]

THX THX.

INDEED . . . as in the days of Noah . . .

Just one puzzle piece among many dozens on the same type of issue.

BTW, Roamer, 2ND Div Vet—would enjoy an update from both of you . . .

Prayers & hugs

LUB BROS.

[Bellflower]

I imagine people like yourself once said the same thing about the telephone, computers, and the Internet. You should lead by example and go flip your main circuit breaker.

Moonman62, their is a large difference between creating material things that are useful and messing around with the fundamentals of living things, designed by The LORD as, in His infinite wisdom, He intended them to be. Man's unfettered imagination is very capable of creating vast evil. The LORD is infinite in wisdom and intellect. We, in comparison, are less than buffoons. For us to think that we should tamper with His creation in such a fashion is pure foolishness. Someday, hopefully, you will be able to see this.

The LORD separated people groups by confounding their language because He knew that if man was not restrained that they would carry out the evil things that they imagined. The LORD knew that the evil man would do, would out pace the good, so He therefore caused them to become separated. Today language, once again, is not a barrier and man sets out to do all that he imagines, and it is often evil. It is written in Holy Scripture that once again The LORD will intervene, and return just before the point is reached that if He did not, all flesh would be destroyed.

_____________________________________________

Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Genesis 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

______________________________________________

Mark 13:19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Mark 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

[Moonman62]

The LORD separated people groups by confounding their language because He knew that if man was not restrained that they would carry out the evil things that they imagined. The LORD knew that the evil man would do, would out pace the good, so He therefore caused them to become separated. Today language, once again, is not a barrier and man sets out to do all that he imagines, and it is often evil.

Like you using man's greatest global communications tool to promote ignorance.

[Quix]

INDEED.

If folks think that The Lord God Almighty is pleased with humans

under the direction of fallen angels

mixing human DNA with the DNA of dogs, pigs, apes, cows, reptiles

particularly toward creating an intense, hard to stop biological-robot-super-soldier

or

to create biological-robot-super-slaves

they are grossly mistaken.

[Quix]

Are you calling the

Book of Enoch

ignorance?

[Bellflower]

Like you using man's greatest global communications tool to promote ignorance.

Sadly, no light yet.

[Pollster1]

No, the mad scientists are going to use artificial DNA to create ... Mega Piranha!. It's a real movie - check it out.

I prefer "the best vegetable movie ever":

[autumnraine]

Sooooo, Terminator might be real???

Seriously though, this scares the CRAP out of me!

[grey_whiskers]

Very much an experimental petitio principii on their part.

XNA != 'cells' ; the polymerases were synthesized to order and did not form spontaneously; this article mentions selection pressure (unspecified) on the XNA in a test tube (in vitro, not in vivo, and not through the mechanism of selection of macroscopic characteristics of the organism possessing the XNA); no mention of any ability of any analogues to mRNA or the like, nor of any changes to the codons when going from four to six base pairs; come to think of it, no explanation of why six base pairs were used; and no mention of spontaneous mistranscriptions, methlyation, etc.

Too much smoke being blown, not enough fire as yet.

Cheers!

[bert]

if it evolves, does it live?

[bert]

there is no evidence for your thought.

[Domestic Church]

Faux nucleotide sequences in the ultimate hubris of man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U7xpGi5SsU&feature=related

[superloser]

It really makes you wonder doesn’t it?

[ColdSteelTalon]

bert, was not the synthetic dna created by an intelligent being?

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed. Thanks for the ping!