Hum Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Researchers say they have created the first ever animal with artificial information in its genetic code. The technique, they say, could give biologists "atom-by-atom control" over the molecules in living organisms. One expert the BBC spoke to agrees, saying the technique would be seized upon by "the entire biology community". The work by a Cambridge University team, which used nematode worms, appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The worms - from the species Caenorhabditis elegans - are 1mm long, with just a thousand cells in their transparent bodies. What makes the newly created animals different is that their genetic code has been extended to create biological molecules not known in the natural world. Genes are the DNA blueprints that enable living organisms to construct their biological machinery, protein molecules, out of strings of simpler building blocks called amino acids. Just 20 amino acids are used in natural living organisms, assembled in different combinations to make the tens of thousands of different proteins needed to sustain life. But Sebastian Greiss and Jason Chin have re-engineered the nematode worm's gene-reading machinery to include a 21st amino acid, not found in nature. Dr Chin of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (where Francis Crick and James Watson first cracked the structure of DNA) describes the technique as "potentially transformational": designer proteins could be created that are entirely under the researchers' control. more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Welcome to designer biology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remixedcat Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Welcome to designer biology. chanel? or gucci? or armani? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Attack of the Mutants, on the way. :woot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted August 12, 2011 Veteran Share Posted August 12, 2011 anyone else think of animal from the muppets when they first read the topic? :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 ^ And maybe they will mix up a real Stewie, with the football head. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted August 12, 2011 Veteran Share Posted August 12, 2011 ^ And maybe they will mix up a real Stewie, with the football head. :laugh: no, thats a tumor in the shape of a football :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOC Veteran Posted August 13, 2011 Veteran Share Posted August 13, 2011 Attack of the Mutants, on the way. :woot: More like Night of the Living Dead, but for reals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Teej Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Rise of the Apes, much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDewCodeRedFreak Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 More like Night of the Living Dead, but for reals! "Mmmmm BRAINS!" :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sadelwo Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 anyone else think of animal from the muppets when they first read the topic? :laugh: Actually I thought of the movie "Splice". This is interesting though, I remember reading an issue of Time magazine where there were theories on how to bring back extinct species Could these techniques be applied to make that possible in the near future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cacoe Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Actually I thought of the movie "Splice". My first thought too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 Actually I thought of the movie "Splice". This is interesting though, I remember reading an issue of Time magazine where there were theories on how to bring back extinct species Could these techniques be applied to make that possible in the near future? Yes, but science does not have exact DNA from most extinct species. Would have to be some guess work too. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiagosilva29 Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Rise of the Apes, much?Not the same.Actually I thought of the movie "Splice". (...) My first thought too. Inside... YOU! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guru Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Welcome to designer biology. it started long back breeding horses,pets, some vegetables like carrots, gm food only this time its "artificial" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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