Slashdot Mirror
Artificial Bases Added to DNA
holy_calamity writes "Researchers have successfully added two 'unnatural' DNA letters to the code of life. They created two artificial base pairs that are treated as normal by an enzyme that replicates and fixes DNA inside cells. This raises the prospect of engineering life forms with genetic code not possible within nature, allowing new kinds of genetic engineering."
All your artificial base are belong to these researchers.
Researchers from KFC (tm) ?
839*929
Sagtacy.
Great, we're one step closer to furries, someone call Lowtax.
That's a great plan! What could possibly go wrong?
(Ow! Ow! Ow! I'm just kidding! Ow!)
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
We already have something like this. You know all those uptight restrictions against sex that the religious fundamentalists are always going on about? God put those in the Bible as a sort of DRM to control the copying of His DNA that He owns.
Hear recorded Slashdot headlines on your phone! New service beta testing. Just call (248) 434-5508
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
My sister's a microbiologist and I like to say that, Yes, they are all madmen (and women) that want to do evil experiments. (please don't tell her I said that, puhleaze!)
Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
...sounds like they're making some kind of social progress.
"There what you call a survivor?" "A few cells are still alive, it's more than I need." "Could you at least idenfity it?" "We tried. But the computer went off the charts. You see, normal human beings have 40 DNA memo groups, which is more than enough for any species to perpetuate itself. This has 200,000... The cell is for the lack of a better word... perfect." "This is a normal human DNA chain. Ok? You, me, anybody, right? Watch this... The compositional elements of this DNA chain are the same as ours. There's simply more of them, tightly packed with infinite genetic knowledge. Almost like this being was engineered."
which is totally what she said
In Soviet Russia, that joke is sick and tired of you!
Basically the summary of the article can be boiled down to:
:)
Scientists: "Yay! We finally crammed a new pair of DNA molecules!"
Journalist: "What do they do?"
Scientists: "We don't know, but we're gonna study it! It was really hard to cram that thing in there, it's like hammering a piece of a jigsaw puzzle where it didn't belong. Now we're going to study how it will react and how the surroundings react to it."
Journalist: "So what will this do for the future?"
Scientists: "More generally, Romesberg notes that DNA and RNA are now being used for hundreds of purposes: for example, to build complex shapes, build complex nanostructures, silence disease genes, or even perform calculations. A new, unnatural, base pair could multiply and diversify these applications."
Journalist: "Cool"
Scientists: "Word! Oh and we're not sure of the tools we can do with it, I'm sure they'll be cool and awesome when we discover the tools we can make with this. It HAS to be cool, we used genetic engineering!"
And that's that.
Now go home and watch Resident Evil. I wonder if someone will start a business and call it "The Umbrella Corporation"
A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. -- Groucho Marx
If gene sequencing is like programming and intelligence design is real, is God somewhere trying to decipher this new DNA and muttering obscenities under his breath?
"since Slashdot members tend to represent the more educated and successful members to begin with?"
The above statement deserves a +1 funny
What's going to happen if I do tell her? Is she going to create some kind of intelligent ape-bear hybrid with poisonous claws and send it to tear you to pieces?
Cool.
It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away.
--Scott Adams
Then they'll come up with E and the EU-based DNA turns up. EU-based DNA does many things right that USA-based DNA doesn't, but for some reason it needs several thousand bases to code even the simplest amino acids.
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
Your reference to 'the moderators' as if they are some secret organisation with a nefarious agenda is clueless.
Well done, boy. Our secret is safe again. You will be rewarded by our leadership. B-)
This is /. When was the last time anything was entirely on topic? Lighten up, you offtopic nazi.
Don't worry about a lighter, just upgrade your DNA with these base pairs. You'll be able to shoot fire from your fingertips!
(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)