Slashdot Mirror
GM Organism Produces New Amino Acid
blamanj writes "Scientists led by Scripps Research Institute chemistry professor Dr. Peter Schultz have engineered a version of the E. coli bacteria that can produce an amino acid not found in nature. Story at the Environment News Service and Science Daily."
This opens up a LOT of possibilities. If we can engineer e. coli to produce an amino acid not found in nature, imagine the applications (e.g. instead of e. coli being dangerous, it can be rendered harmless or made to produce vitamins, etc.). The possibilities for good are staggering, but so is the possibility for using it for evil purposes (helping the spread of disease instead of stopping the spread).
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
This is interesting and certainly Scientific Progress, but not revolutionary by any means. While quite rare, there are still 5 or 6 cases already known of organisms that use abnormal amino acids. This may lead to some answers to current questions a decade or two down the line, and there's even the off chance that it could mean something really revolutionary, but for now it's no more and no less than interesting.
The first 20 are hard enough to learn. I never learned them, but my biochem roommate did and if he had told me the structure of valine one more time I was going to kill him.
What's the use of it? Well, imagine getting a whole new shape of Lego piece to design around.