U.S. scientists take step toward creating artificial life

[webfact]

U.S. scientists take step toward creating artificial life

By Julie Steenhuysen

 

A scientist does research in a lab in San Diego, California April 26, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Blake

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a major step toward creating artificial life, U.S. researchers have developed a living organism that incorporates both natural and artificial DNA and is capable of creating entirely new, synthetic proteins.

 

The work, published in the journal Nature, brings scientists closer to the development of designer proteins made to order in a laboratory.

 

Previous work by Floyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, showed that it was possible to expand the genetic alphabet of natural DNA beyond its current four letters: adenine(A), cytosine(C), guanine (G) and thymine(T).

 

In 2014, Romesberg and colleagues created a strain of E. coli bacteria that contained two unnatural letters, X and Y.

 

In the latest work, Romesberg's team has shown that this partially synthetic form of E. coli can take instructions from this hybrid genetic alphabet to make new proteins.

 

"This is the first time ever a cell has translated a protein using something other than G, C, A or T," Romesberg said.

 

Although the actual changes to the organism were small, the feat is significant, he said in a telephone interview. "It's the first change to life ever made."

 

It's a goal Romesberg has been working toward for the past 20 years. Creating new forms of life, however, is not the main point. Romesberg is interested in using this expanded genetic alphabet to create new types of proteins that can be used to treat disease.

 

In 2014, he formed a company called Synthorx Inc, which is working on developing new protein-based treatments.

 

"A lot of proteins that you want to use as drugs get cleared in the kidney very quickly," Romesberg said. The new system would allow scientists to attach fat molecules to drugs to keep them in the body longer.

 

Romesberg is aware that the creation of semi-synthetic organisms might raise concerns of hybrid life forms spreading beyond the lab, but the system they used makes such an escape unlikely.

 

For example, in natural DNA, base pairs are attracted to each other through the bonding of hydrogen atoms. Romesberg's X and Y bases are attracted through an entirely different process, which prevents them from accidentally bonding with natural bases.

 

And because cells cannot make their own X and Y without the addition of certain chemicals, the semi-synthetic organisms cannot live outside of a laboratory.

 

"They can't escape," Romesberg said. "There's no 'Jurassic Park' scenario."

 

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-01

[FritsSikkink]

"the system they used makes such an escape unlikely."

Not impossible then. 

[thaibeachlovers]

Did none of those scientists watch "Terminator"? 

[4MyEgo]

If its to assist in fighting deceases, why not, moving forward

[Neilly]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Romesberg is aware that the creation of semi-synthetic organisms might raise concerns of hybrid life forms spreading beyond the lab, but the system they used makes such an escape unlikely.

I think it escaped already and is living in the White House

[honu]

Just like in that movie "I Am Legend."

[impulse]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"They can't escape," Romesberg said. "There's no 'Jurassic Park' scenario."

 

Isn't that what they said on Jurassic Park?

 

[johnnyonesock]

"They can't escape," Romesberg said. "There's no 'Jurassic Park' scenario."

 

 

but what will happen if they do?

 

[malibukid]

the X and Y components of the DNA strain produced in lab need man made precursors to grow and can not exist outside of the lab.  experiments have proven this.  the upside is that many diseases can be targeted with tailor made proteins. 

[Dumbastheycome]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

the X and Y components of the DNA strain produced in lab need man made precursors to grow and can not exist outside of the lab.  experiments have proven this.  the upside is that many diseases can be targeted with tailor made proteins. 

Available  at   tailor   made   prices....eventually... with research   funded  by  taxpayers?

[whatsupdoc]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

the X and Y components of the DNA strain produced in lab need man made precursors to grow and can not exist outside of the lab.  experiments have proven this.  the upside is that many diseases can be targeted with tailor made proteins. 

E. Coli is a bacteria that has been studied more than any other one in the lab. I suppose they used a lab strain that doesn't pose any danger in the first place. And on top of that, with what is known about these bacteria it wouldn't be that hard to have additional measures to make sure it cannot survive outside of the lab.

[Foozool]

We will see "Aliens" on earth soon ?

[mlmcleod]

Oh, no!  The open marketplace is where they will make a killing!  There is more than one form of taxation as Americans will soon find out!

[mlmcleod]

Just now, mlmcleod said:

 

 

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Available  at   tailor   made   prices....eventually... with research   funded  by  taxpayers?

Oh, no!  The open marketplace is where they will make a killing!  There is more than one form of taxation as Americans will soon find out!

[boomerangutang]

52 minutes ago, whatsupdoc said:

E. Coli is a bacteria that has been studied more than any other one in the lab. I suppose they used a lab strain that doesn't pose any danger in the first place. And on top of that, with what is known about these bacteria it wouldn't be that hard to have additional measures to make sure it cannot survive outside of the lab.

"....the best laid plans of mice and men and bacteria."

 

Shit happens. Many times, when scientists claim something 'couldn't happen' ....it happens later.

Decades ago, a British scientist was working with a dangerous and contagious disease in his sealed lab. 'It couldn't get out.'   Yet it did.  The pathogen traveled through the venting, and killed a woman on the floor below.  If you had spoken with techies at either Chernobyl or Fukushima, the day before their respective N reactors were breached, they would have said something like, "No problem. We have many safeguards in place. Don't worry."

[tandor]

12 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

"the system they used makes such an escape unlikely."

Not impossible then. 

..set free very likely..I'd venture to say.

[tandor]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Did none of those scientists watch "Terminator"? 

...some nerd-nutter will make it happen.

[tandor]

2 hours ago, Foozool said:

We will see "Aliens" on earth soon ?

[email protected]

[tryasimight]

Time for the tin foil hard hats boys..... Jeez. 

[Skeptic7]

Real, actual creators of life! Just plain ole humans figuring shit out. No god(s) needed. The evangelicals and Christian fundies will be shittin' their britches. 

[canuckamuck]

This is just hybridization. When scientists start making DNA from scratch or have worked out a replacement for it; and a replicating organism derived from it. Then it can be discussed whether or not they created life.

[whatsupdoc]

24 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

This is just hybridization. When scientists start making DNA from scratch or have worked out a replacement for it; and a replicating organism derived from it. Then it can be discussed whether or not they created life.

Part of what you say has already been done:

http://www.nature.com/news/minimal-cell-raises-stakes-in-race-to-harness-synthetic-life-1.19633

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Real, actual creators of life! Just plain ole humans figuring shit out. No god(s) needed. The evangelicals and Christian fundies will be shittin' their britches. 

How do you know that our "god" isn't a scientist in a much, much larger laboratory that "invented" us?

[Skeptic7]

24 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How do you know that our "god" isn't a scientist in a much, much larger laboratory that "invented" us?

Or maybe a cosmic computer programmer and we're just characters in a video game...or universe creating pixies...or maybe we're all just brains in vats! Or maybe The Matrix wasn't just a movie! 

 

Answer...I don't.

 

And while these extraordinary and implausible speculations are fun and thought provoking. the far-fetched possibilities are endless.

 

But since you brought it up...the time to start exploring such wild ideas is when compelling, empirical evidence is presented. Or at least a simple shred of any kind of evidence. 

[boomerangutang]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How do you know that our "god" isn't a scientist in a much, much larger laboratory that "invented" us?

That God scientist has foul body odor, and bacteria-sized I can smell it.  Yuk.  How can I swim away?

[tandor]

On 12/2/2017 at 10:41 AM, canuckamuck said:

This is just hybridization. When scientists start making DNA from scratch or have worked out a replacement for it; and a replicating organism derived from it. Then it can be discussed whether or not they created life.

..i created life when i was 18 years old..it was easy.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

 

 

 Or at least a simple shred of any kind of evidence. 

If that were a requirement before exploring anything on TVF there wouldn't be many, if any, threads on a certain subject on world news sub forum.

[Skeptic7]

26 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that were a requirement before exploring anything on TVF there wouldn't be many, if any, threads on a certain subject on world news sub forum.

True dat!