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 ...
The key is “engineered by stripping the natural DNA out of the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides.”
They did not create life. They did not create life from life. They crippled life and called it new life.
What could go wrong??
Now, Saruman under the dark lord Sauron can create the motherless orcs, the Uruk-hai, and conquer all of Middle Earth!
Great, so they figured out how to make a cancer cell as deadly as a natural one. Might as well ship the data in bulk to Wigan and start pouring out the 7 deadly plagues of the biblical end times.
Wigan should be Wuhan. I type it correctly but autocorrect changes it.
Damn, I really really hate autocorrect. It produces more typos than it fixes.
What this little bug is is the base platform for developing nanobots. They have a simplified, self replicating base model ready for “features”.
Nanobots will not be machines but programmed microbes running DNA encoded software.
Uh oh! That new FrankenCell is doing a lot better than I am. For both its growing and replicating
I’m not against this at all if it helps lead to curing or stopping cancer. I just learned today a guy I worked with died of throat cancer, only 60 years old. He never drank, never smoked, ran marathons, very health conscious, brilliant guy and in only a year and a half he’s gone, just when he was reaching that time to retire after busting his butt all his life the rug gets pulled out from under him.
DC Comics; The beginning of Swamp Thing. Or on Doctor Who; The crenoid that tried to take over the village. Fortunately, the crenoid was a fresh water creature. Ocean salt water saved the day with that one.
What could possibly go wrong? /s
At least it’s not zombies...yet
It’s a start.
They won’t tell you, but the real goal here is to find that “carzy-hot” gene and make a chick without the crazy part.
Right on. Give the scientist a bucket of irradiated dirt and let’s see that artificial cell.
Well finally, they can make a real steak.
What can go wrong...
“We have reached the point where our ability to produce technology has far outstripped our wisdom in using it.”
Wisdom is deleted by greed.
Just a caution that smoking and drinking aren't the only thing that will cause throat cancer. HPV for one thing has been identified as a cause.
Hard Penis Violation?
What could go wrong?
Could be quite the opposite; Human papillomavirus (HPV) “can cause cervical and other cancers including cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. It can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (called oropharyngeal cancer).”
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