Artificial genetic code

[MartG]

It's life Jim, but not as we know it

Scientists have succeeded in creating a new form of DNA based on a 6 letter genetic code ( all natural DNA is based on 4 letters )

http://www.sciencealert.com/new-organisms-have-bee...

[MartG]

ash73 said:

Yes I can see why giving bacteria an evolutionary leg up would be a good idea

Well, maybe when said bacteria can be used to target cancer cells, then 'turned off' by removing supplies of the artificial molecules they need to live once they have completed their task

[Simpo Two]

OMG, adding two more rotors to the Enigma machine of life! That will certainly perk up evolution... we'll either be on Mars next year or turn into giant flies.

[xjay1337]

MartG said:

Well, maybe when said bacteria can be used to target cancer cells, then 'turned off' by removing supplies of the artificial molecules they need to live once they have completed their task

Do you really want to risk it?

[Simpo Two]

xjay1337 said:

Do you really want to risk it?

If the alternative is dying from cancer I guess anything is an option.

[V8LM]

There already is redundancy in the genetic code - 64 possibilities of triplets of four bases - with only 20 amino acids. Also not sure making two more bases, giving 216 possible triplet combinations, is better than increasing the code to a quadruple of the four (256 combinations) - apart from the 33% increase in DNA/RNA length.

Clever work though.

[xjay1337]

ash73 said:

Well, if it goes wrong we can kill it with shampoo.

Or Dettol.

[Einion Yrth]

xjay1337 said:

ash73 said:

Well, if it goes wrong we can kill it with shampoo.

Or Dettol.

I don't think there's any Selenium in Dettol, is there?

[PRTVR]

Simpo Two said:

OMG, adding two more rotors to the Enigma machine of life! That will certainly perk up evolution... we'll either be on Mars next year or turn into giant flies.

A bit off topic .
Love your analogy, especially as the other day I visited Bletchley park, with the Enigma machine and the following day was stood outside the eagle pub in Cambridge where Crick and Watson announced the discovery of the double helix.

do you work for GCHQ ? That's too much of a coincidence.

[Simpo Two]

PRTVR said:

Love your analogy, especially as the other day I visited Bletchley park, with the Enigma machine and the following day was stood outside the eagle pub in Cambridge where Crick and Watson announced the discovery of the double helix.

do you work for GCHQ ? That's too much of a coincidence.

I'm not allowed to say, but being fairly well versed on DNA and Enigma, base pairs vs. rotors seemed an obvious comparison!

When you hold a rotor up to the light and see an X-shape you'll know it worked