Posted on 03/29/2021 12:31:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In a new first for genetic engineering, scientists have developed a single-celled synthetic organism that grows and divides much like a normal cell, mimicking aspects of the cell division cycle that underlies and generates healthy living cellular life.
The achievement, demonstrated in an engineered unicellular bacteria-like life form called JCVI-syn3A, is the result of decades of genomic sequencing and analysis by scientists, exploring the roles individual genes play inside living creatures.
This organism, called JCVI-syn3.0, only possessed 473 genes in total – shorter than any known self-sustaining, living organism in the natural world.
But while JCVI-syn3.0's miniaturized genetic toolkit enabled it to perpetuate itself via cell division, it did so in an unusual way, producing "striking morphological variation" in the new cells it created, which emerged in a variety of different shapes and sizes.
Now, members of the same research team have figured out a way to prevent these strange morphologies from occurring, with a newly modified variant of JCVI-syn3.0, known as JCVI-syn3A.
With the addition of 19 genes not present in JCVI-syn3.0, the newfangled JCVI-syn3A is able to undergo cell division in a more normal-looking, consistent way, with significantly less morphological variation than JCVI-syn3.0 exhibited.
Despite the several years of work behind the achievement, there's still a huge amount of mystery wrapped up in these genes.
For example, while JCVI-syn3A features 19 new genes, only 7 genes are thought to play a role in making its cell division processes run in a more regular fashion. And of those seven, only two genes – called ftsZ and sepF – have had their functions identified.
Quite how the other five necessarily contribute to JCVI-syn3A's morphological consistency remains unknown, but one thing is certain: this tiny genome now represents the new standard
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
And this is how we get The Blob.
Playing G-d.
G-d can control His creation. Humans are not gods and will not long control theirs.
You want Synths? Because that is how you get Synths.
What could possibly go wrong ???
Actually not. This is a modified code placed into a living cell. Not a cell created from scratch. The level of complexity difference is not even calculatable. For example take a functioning cell wall, there has never been a functioning cell wall created. There have been claims of such, but when reviewed are found to be complete nonsense.
What could possibly go wrong ???
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Who knows. Fauci should give samples of this artificial organism to the ChiCom’s Wuhan biological lab to find out. Hell, they may try some “gain of function” on it.
morphological variation = evolution
They have determined how to stop the organism from evolving
Yup.
Just wait until the Mad Doctor meets with Elsa Lancaster.
She’s a very Freaky Girl!
Exactly!
If it can merge with living cells we'll have The Blob and The Thing combined (The BlobThing?)
We have reached the point where our ability to produce technology has far outstripped our wisdom in using it.
This could so backfire....
I was going to say, “The Thing”.
Funny. It only took Hod an instant.
God. I don’t know who Hod is (except maybe the misspelling genie that lives in my finger.)
ARM/RISC minimal instruction set for genetics?
Tinker toys...nothing to do with actual life..
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