[HN Gopher] Six-Letter DNA Alphabet Produces Proteins in Cells
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       Six-Letter DNA Alphabet Produces Proteins in Cells
        
       Author : _Microft
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2022-02-05 13:36 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.the-scientist.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.the-scientist.com)
        
       | lvs wrote:
       | 2017
        
       | morninglight wrote:
       | Y. Zhang et al., "A semi-synthetic organism that stores and
       | retrieves increased genetic information," Nature,
       | doi:10.1038/nature24659, 2017.
        
       | MayeulC wrote:
       | But can it reproduce?
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | netizen-936824 wrote:
         | These types of Genetically Recoded Organisms can reproduce, but
         | they are required to be grown on a special media containing the
         | extra nucleic acids or the amino acids. This is actually a neat
         | type of way to prevent modified organisms from escaping the
         | research environment and growing in the wild.
        
           | 323 wrote:
           | Until they evolve enzymes to convert regular amino acids into
           | the extra ones.
        
             | netizen-936824 wrote:
             | Do you think they can even survive for long enough outside
             | the special media for that to happen?
             | 
             | The most common method of escape that I read about is a
             | genetic mutation that swaps out the recoded substitution
             | for an amino acid that happens the keep the protein viable.
             | 
             | This is preventable if you simply use multiple
             | substitutions in multiple places. That makes the
             | probability of viable escape next to nothing if done well.
        
           | BiteCode_dev wrote:
           | In a movie, it would mutate, escape, then somebody would
           | claim "life finds a way".
        
       | DiabloD3 wrote:
       | Behind a paywall
        
         | gojomo wrote:
         | Seems available via free registration, as well.
        
         | rzz3 wrote:
         | This site just feels scammy. I hate paywalls.
        
         | _Microft wrote:
         | If you are using Firefox then try its reader mode. It works
         | just fine.
        
       | dr_dshiv wrote:
       | Terrifying. And awesome.
       | 
       | Why the 4 amino acids? Why not 5?
        
         | amelius wrote:
         | > Terrifying.
         | 
         | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Filter
        
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       (page generated 2022-02-06 23:00 UTC)