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New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

sciencealert.com

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Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#81

Post by astrodust »

eivarv wrote: post #79
_yosefk wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's good as long self-termination is a nice-to-have feature. If you REALLY want them to self-terminate but you found out that they mutated and can now synthesize X & Y, you're in trouble. Genetically modified organisms are a bit scary, but genetically modified organisms that replicate autonomously are more than a bit scary. As programmers - a profession that managed to spread Shellshock, the dumbest imaginable backd…

Genetically modified organisms are a bit scary... Why?

The biggest problem is they're not open source. What went into making that organism? Is there a standard for documenting this and reasonable public disclosure when relevant?

Foods have ingredient lists for a reason.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#82

Post by astrodust »

dghughes wrote: post #25
_throwaway1843 wrote: post #8

Star Trek depicted one of the scarier applications of such a technology: There, The Jem'Hadaar are a genetically engineered race of warriors controlled by the Dominion, who exert power over them by being the sole provider of a substance (Ketracel-White) that they need in order to survive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_(Star_Trek) http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Ketracel-white If my reading of the paper is…

I just watched an old X Files episode (season 1) apparently aliens have six base pairs.

It's a common trope. See also: Evolution, Fifth Element.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#83

Post by NeutronBoy »

> But Romesberg says there's no need for concern just yet, because for one, the synthetic base pair is useless. It can't be read and processed into something of value by the bacteria - it's just a proof-of-concept that we can get a life form to take on 'alien' bases and keep them.

While it might not be useful to the organism, could the synthetic base pairs lead to a way to store data? Imagine a bacteria that can be used as a living, self-healing datastore.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#84

Post by glenstein »

tstactplsignore wrote: post #65
zepto wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Software systems are relatively predictable, and built on mathematical models and rules that we designed. Even so, there are still many negative unforeseen consequences of their operation. Biological systems are relatively unpredictable, and based on rules that we didn't design and cannot begin to claim we fully understand. Your analogy therefore strongly predicts negative unforeseen consequences.

Difficult to see how this comment, as common as it is, is anything but unscientific. Biological systems are often highly predictable in many circumstances - in fact "biological predictability" is what accounts for the general success of all modern medicine and agriculture. If the field "cannot begin to claim we don't fully understand" things now, when do we reach the point where we suddenly "know enough to begin to d…

There's absolutely nothing unscientific about saying biology is hard to understand and predict relative to software. We understand some biology, but the complexity of things like the genome, brain function, bacteria, etc. is overwhelming. (Relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1605/).

Far from being antiscientific, it's a rather straightforward observation that borders on self evident. What would be unscientific would be claiming such things can never be understood, even in principle. But that's not the claim that was made.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#85

Post by _throwaway1843 »

robbiep wrote: post #63
_throwaway1843 wrote: post #8

Star Trek depicted one of the scarier applications of such a technology: There, The Jem'Hadaar are a genetically engineered race of warriors controlled by the Dominion, who exert power over them by being the sole provider of a substance (Ketracel-White) that they need in order to survive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_(Star_Trek) http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Ketracel-white If my reading of the paper is…

> If my reading of the paper is correct, the unnatural XY base pair doesn't have any function per se, but without it the organism fails to replicate its DNA and quickly dies. That's actually differently to how I've read it - it appears to me that the XY pairing is stable and not harmful to the host and so is not degraded or removed (recognised as foreign by mis-sense DNA proof readers) but is therwise not performing…

Yes very good point, I didn't want to mention Monsanto but I also think they're probably the company that is most likely to use such a technology on animals in the future, if they might get the chance to do so.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#86

Post by AnkhMorporkian »

astrodust wrote: post #81
eivarv wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Genetically modified organisms are a bit scary... Why?

The biggest problem is they're not open source. What went into making that organism? Is there a standard for documenting this and reasonable public disclosure when relevant? Foods have ingredient lists for a reason.

I'd argue that any organism is inherently open source, just not necessarily free and open source.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#88

Post by _throwaway1843 »

eivarv wrote: post #79
_yosefk wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's good as long self-termination is a nice-to-have feature. If you REALLY want them to self-terminate but you found out that they mutated and can now synthesize X & Y, you're in trouble. Genetically modified organisms are a bit scary, but genetically modified organisms that replicate autonomously are more than a bit scary. As programmers - a profession that managed to spread Shellshock, the dumbest imaginable backd…

Genetically modified organisms are a bit scary... Why?

I think there should be a ban on "owning" custom sequences of DNA, as it will eventually lead to an accumulation of most of our "biological capital" in the hands of very few companies, which could then effectively control what and how we eat (and many other things as well). Already now most biodiversity has vanished from agriculture, with only a handful of different crop species accounting for more than 99 % of all harvests. This is highly dangerous economically, politically and environmentally.

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#89

Post by jakeogh »

NeutronBoy wrote: post #83

> But Romesberg says there's no need for concern just yet, because for one, the synthetic base pair is useless. It can't be read and processed into something of value by the bacteria - it's just a proof-of-concept that we can get a life form to take on 'alien' bases and keep them. While it might not be useful to the organism, could the synthetic base pairs lead to a way to store data? Imagine a bacteria that can be u…

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134672-harvard-cracks-dna...

Re: New organisms have been formed using the first ever 6-letter genetic code

#90

Post by astrodust »

AnkhMorporkian wrote: post #86
astrodust wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest problem is they're not open source. What went into making that organism? Is there a standard for documenting this and reasonable public disclosure when relevant? Foods have ingredient lists for a reason.

I'd argue that any organism is inherently open source, just not necessarily free and open source.

If it's been baked the source is wrecked, so not really.
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