• Scientists have created "alien" DNA
    47 replies, posted
[QUOTE="Nature"]Organisms are defined by the information encoded in their genomes, and since the origin of life this information has been encoded using a two-base-pair genetic alphabet (A–T and G–C). In vitro, the alphabet has been expanded to include several unnatural base pairs (UBPs)1, 2, 3. We have developed a class of UBPs formed between nucleotides bearing hydrophobic nucleobases, exemplified by the pair formed between d5SICS and dNaM (d5SICS–dNaM), which is efficiently PCR-amplified1 and transcribed4, 5 in vitro, and whose unique mechanism of replication has been characterized6, 7. However, expansion of an organism’s genetic alphabet presents new and unprecedented challenges: the unnatural nucleoside triphosphates must be available inside the cell; endogenous polymerases must be able to use the unnatural triphosphates to faithfully replicate DNA containing the UBP within the complex cellular milieu; and finally, the UBP must be stable in the presence of pathways that maintain the integrity of DNA. Here we show that an exogenously expressed algal nucleotide triphosphate transporter efficiently imports the triphosphates of both d5SICS and dNaM (d5SICSTP and dNaMTP) into Escherichia coli, and that the endogenous replication machinery uses them to accurately replicate a plasmid containing d5SICS–dNaM. Neither the presence of the unnatural triphosphates nor the replication of the UBP introduces a notable growth burden. Lastly, we find that the UBP is not efficiently excised by DNA repair pathways. Thus, the resulting bacterium is the first organism to propagate stably an expanded genetic alphabet.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13314.html[/url] [url]http://gizmodo.com/scientists-have-created-alien-dna-1573167393?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow[/url]
I didn't understand a single thing, but props to them!
-Snip- kinda understand now, at least i think i do, and if i do understand this is the most badass creation yet
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;44752710]I didn't understand a single thing, but props to them![/QUOTE] Imagine if they added some more letters to the English alphabet, you'd be able to write words that were previously impossible to create with just our standard 26. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] æ ø å
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;44752710]I didn't understand a single thing, but props to them![/QUOTE] Basically, usually when we fuck with DNA of stuff, we just play with the building blocks we knew from another organism, reorganize them or trigger something that was naturally dormant. In this case, we are already trying to come up with our own building blocks and seeing if the organism will be functional and the DNA we created stable after generations, and it works. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=ScottyWired;44752746]Imagine if they added some more letters to the English alphabet, you'd be able to write words that were previously impossible to create with just our standard 26. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] æ ø å[/QUOTE] Your examples aren't ideal because these are signs from another language, which would be parallel to implanting DNA of another organism, which is something we have been doing for a while. In this experiment they are creating bits of DNA that never existed in nature.
Humans playing god?! Blasphemy! In all seriousness, this is really cool. Wonder what the future holds in this line of research.
[QUOTE=ScottyWired;44752746]Imagine if they added some more letters to the English alphabet, you'd be able to write words that were previously impossible to create with just our standard 26.[/QUOTE] Kind of, but not really. It's more like finding a different way to write letters we already have. DNA is just a precursor the actual "letters" themselves, which are proteins. Normally DNA contains the bases G - C and A - T. In this case they've created two new bases, which they're calling X and Y. In this journal they're explaining that an organism picked up a new gene containing the new bases at a single point, and that the gene activated despite this addition and didn't consistently remove this addition from the DNA. Realistically this doesn't really mean anything, esp. because DNA contains a load of redundancies that make it work in spite of additions like this and the fact that the current bases would be the only really functional part as the organism would have no idea what do to with these new bases.
[QUOTE=booster;44752773]Humans playing god?! Blasphemy! In all seriousness, this is really cool. Wonder what the future holds in this line of research.[/QUOTE] Guess if i'm correct it means if we can create DNA from scratch than we can mess with our DNA Again i'm still not sure i understand this though, so disregard what i said if i'm incorrect
[QUOTE=booster;44752773]Humans playing god?! Blasphemy! In all seriousness, this is really cool. Wonder what the future holds in this line of research.[/QUOTE] I would unironically say that we are playing god. And it is good. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Ashes;44752798]Guess if i'm correct it means if we can create DNA from scratch than we can mess with our DNA Again i'm still not sure i understand this though, so disregard what i said if i'm incorrect[/QUOTE] Nah, not really necessary. We could have messed with our DNA for ages, it's not really that different from messing with sheep and making piglets fluorescent. The issue is; who's going to tell the fucked up kids they won't ever live a normal life because somebody had to try how things work (because the genetic fiddling is still a huge hit and miss deal and we still fuck up a lot). As far as I understand the main purpose of this research is that we can see what all we can actually do with DNA while it stays stable and functional, even tho we aren't really aiming for any specific effect.
Does RNA actually recognize X or Y though? I'm on my phone so couldn't open the source.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44752832]I would unironically say that we are playing god. And it is good. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] Nah, not really necessary. We could have messed with our DNA for ages, it's not really that different from messing with sheep and making piglets fluorescent. The issue is; who's going to tell the fucked up kids they won't ever live a normal life because somebody had to try how things work (because the genetic fiddling is still a huge hit and miss deal and we still fuck up a lot). As far as I understand the main purpose of this research is that we can see what all we can actually do with DNA while it stays stable and functional, even tho we aren't really aiming for any specific effect.[/QUOTE] Ahh ok thanks, still sounds cool Have there ever been successful attempts at messing with DNA other than making animals fluorescent?
Another creationist argument destroyed.
Connect it up with human DNA and maybe we can get a third sex? O_O
Can't say that I'm not wary of the potential developments that might occur. Gene splicing comes to mind.
Created in in his image: To do as he says not as he does...
Imagine what augmentations and alterations could be made using these new base-pairs... I actually dunno what could result from it, though hopefully the DNA OS would be capable of recognising these different base-pairs when growing an organism.
[QUOTE=lintz;44753092]Can't say that I'm not wary of the potential developments that might occur. Gene splicing comes to mind.[/QUOTE] Yeah man that would be terrible. Wait, no it wouldn't. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=ironman17;44753759]Imagine what augmentations and alterations could be made using these new base-pairs... I actually dunno what could result from it, though hopefully the DNA OS would be capable of recognising these different base-pairs when growing an organism.[/QUOTE] Well, I imagine this would lead to some interesting shit, considering DNA leads to transcription of proteins, with a new set of base pairs it could totally change the game, you could end up with new proteins folding in different ways and end up with completely new unimagined organelles.
Rather impressive stuff, considering the E.Coli cell they injected the new 'alien' base pairs into was able to incorporate it rather well with the current inscribing machinery. (I.e. It seems that this type of DNA replication is rather flexible and adaptable, more to be seen?)
[QUOTE=woaka;44753089]Connect it up with human DNA and maybe we can get a third sex? O_O[/QUOTE] Stop injecting your terrible fetishes into our science.
[QUOTE=ScottyWired;44752746]Imagine if they added some more letters to the English alphabet, you'd be able to write words that were previously impossible to create with just our standard 26. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] æ ø å[/QUOTE] So scientists created Scandinavian life
[QUOTE=woaka;44753089]Connect it up with human DNA and maybe we can get a third sex? O_O[/QUOTE] Yeah maybe women that actually like nice guys
great now they've found a way to tag lifeforms using the extra DNA as a barcode cant wait for Monsanto to start using this to definitively patent their seeds
[QUOTE=Zeke129;44754185]So scientists created Scandinavian life[/QUOTE] did you really think IKEA was of this world
This is some Shyalaman the aliens were from Earth all along
[QUOTE=woaka;44753089]Connect it up with human DNA and maybe we can get a third sex? O_O[/QUOTE] no we have enough sexes as it is
[QUOTE=Buck.;44753073]Another creationist argument destroyed.[/QUOTE] I don't see how this destroys a creationist argument at all. They just pout when we do science and say it's evil. If anything, this will make them even more pissy.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44752751]Your examples aren't ideal because these are signs from another language, which would be parallel to implanting DNA of another organism, which is something we have been doing for a while. In this experiment they are creating bits of DNA that never existed in nature.[/QUOTE] ̊̊ ̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊ Better?
[QUOTE=ScottyWired;44752746]Imagine if they added some more letters to the English alphabet, you'd be able to write words that were previously impossible to create with just our standard 26. [editline]8th May 2014[/editline] æ ø å[/QUOTE] It's more like a, b, c, rock, potato, escher paintings, d.
[QUOTE=Robman8908;44754958]I don't see how this destroys a creationist argument at all. They just pout when we do science and say it's evil. If anything, this will make them even more pissy.[/QUOTE] No, one of their arguments was that we can't create anything new, just fuck around with existing genes and mixing them up.
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;44755097]̊̊ ̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊̊ ̊̊̊ Better?[/QUOTE] ᧠᧡᧢᧣᧬᧲᧳᧴᧵᧶᧷᧺᧻᧼᧽᧨᧩᧭᧮᧤᧥᧦᧧᧪᧫᧸᧹᧯᧰᧱᧾᧿ I speak true alien
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