02-23-2019, 07:28 PM
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-...ind-aliens
Earth might have a dizzying array of life forms, but our biology ultimately remains a solitary data point - we simply don't have a reference for life based on DNA different from our own. Now, scientists have taken matters into their hands to push the boundaries on what life could be like.
Research funded by NASA and led by the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in the US has led to the creation of an entirely new flavour of the DNA double helix, one that has an additional four nucleotide bases.
It's being called hachimoji DNA (from the Japanese words for 'eight letters') and it includes two new pairs to add to the existing partnerships of adenine (A) paired with thymine (T), and guanine (G) with cytosine ©.
The new codes, labelled P, B, Z and S, are based on the same kind of nitrogenous molecules as existing ones, categorised as purines and pyrimidines.
This research was published in Science.
Wow . I do wonder whether it'll be possible to make our own synthetic life out of this DNA - but, this really sounds like a case where we should be careful what we wish for ...
Though, even if we don't make new lifeforms with it, it may give us some insight into what extra-terrestrial life might look like (which apparently is the purpose of this).
Earth might have a dizzying array of life forms, but our biology ultimately remains a solitary data point - we simply don't have a reference for life based on DNA different from our own. Now, scientists have taken matters into their hands to push the boundaries on what life could be like.
Research funded by NASA and led by the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in the US has led to the creation of an entirely new flavour of the DNA double helix, one that has an additional four nucleotide bases.
It's being called hachimoji DNA (from the Japanese words for 'eight letters') and it includes two new pairs to add to the existing partnerships of adenine (A) paired with thymine (T), and guanine (G) with cytosine ©.
The new codes, labelled P, B, Z and S, are based on the same kind of nitrogenous molecules as existing ones, categorised as purines and pyrimidines.
This research was published in Science.
Wow . I do wonder whether it'll be possible to make our own synthetic life out of this DNA - but, this really sounds like a case where we should be careful what we wish for ...
Though, even if we don't make new lifeforms with it, it may give us some insight into what extra-terrestrial life might look like (which apparently is the purpose of this).
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