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Repairing Genetic Mutations With Lasers?
Roland Piquepaille writes "German researchers at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) think they've proved that genetic information can be controlled by light. The group studied the interaction between the four DNA bases — adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T) — by using femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The researchers think that they've demonstrated that DNA strands differ in their light sensitivity depending on their base sequences. The team thinks that it might be possible in the future to repair gene mutations using laser radiation. One of the project leaders said that 'it might even be possible under some circumstances to make transistors from DNA that would work through the hydrogen bonds.' It's not the first time I've heard about DNA computing, but this new approach looks promising."
Good to see they're shedding light on the topic
Eugenics here we come!
I have a wonderfully hilarious image of fundamentalists chasing homosexuals around with flashlights because they read the dumbed down Fox friendly version of this story.
The only change I can believe in is what I find in my couch cushions.
From reading TFA, the researchers have seen that different bases will fluoresce different lengths of time when they shoot a laser at them. I can see where it might help with sequencing (as is mentioned in TFA) by recognizing the presumably fast glow pattern, but anything beyond that is plain wishful thinking on the part of the writer.
One might also envisage linking the photophysical properties to genetic characteristics. When these mechanisms are better understood, it might in the long term become possible to repair gene mutations using laser radiation.
I can imagine breeding flying pigs too, but I don't see it happening anytime soon either.
Like the ones that cause hair loss in men that was discovered earlier this week. :)
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Is that like a pin number?
Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
to create velociraptors by exposing frogs to
That could only lead to chaos.
Interestingly, some of the Edgar Cayce trance-inspired therapies involved exposure to light in specific wavelengths. I wonder how well those went, and if there's any correspondence?
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
I accidentally to gene mutations. Is this bad?
That sentence no verb!
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
Now we just need a couple of sharks.
Love many, trust a few, do harm to none.
I think i saw something like this in an old film called "fantastic voyage. But where will they get the minature sharks?
War is the statesman's game, the priest's delight, the lawyer's jest, the hired assassin's trade.- Shelley
The time we start dictating what a genetic 'standard' is and classifying variations as 'mutations' is when we start playing God.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
up being Torchlight Tragedy...?
But, in the end if this is "God's" work, then assuming God is perfect, then all is as God wanted, and the humans are simply delusional through and through.
Imagine the human body a car. The will the driver. If a sect or subclass of humans decides they have divination to go and destroy the genome with a flashlight (or by earth-shaking Sunday sermons and witch hunts, etc.) then the general population should be interested in or consider taking up maces, chain lines, and mauls and proceed to go after motorcyclists with loud pipes, who tear down streets keeping people awake at night. Maybe the populace should take axes and drills to suped-up expensive cars, even though the CARS don't kill people, speeding drivers (and a dose of bad luck for the run-down) do.
Admittedly, it's not a good analogy. But, fortunately, flashlights won't fix people up that way, and light-waving people might end up shattering the entire species, even other animals, if everyone with a God's-will mission used a gene-destabilizing piece of instrumentation...
What was that Jack asked/implored in, what, Witches of Eastwick: "Why can't we all just GET ALONG?"?
Some people are WIRED to not get along...
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
The Turtles and Splinter all lived in the dark, light forbidden labyrinth of the sewer... Coincidence?
It all makes sense now.
Fact: Everything I say is fiction.
Or name-your-genetic-disease-here. Putin will be thrilled.
...if this can be weaponized? Like a laser that causes people's genes to horribly mutate.
Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
What was that Jack asked/implored in, what, Witches of Eastwick: "Why can't we all just GET ALONG?"?
So that's where that came from!
It's one of the Warlock imp's quotes in World of Warcraft.
Good to know that Jack's legacy will live on in the entertainment world.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
I think 'reversing' would be a better word than 'repairing'. Not every mutation is harmful (though I'm sure a vast majority aren't beneficial).
I remember reading about a miniaturized submarine that was injected into a Russian defector, so that the teeny tiny crew could use a laser to repair a blood clot.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Now all those Trek episodes where they do genetic level medical procedures with a blue flashlight are a tiny bit less fantasy.
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Ok, that certainly has to be the worst layman's summary of a scientific paper I have ever seen. The actual article is here. You will need a subscription to Science to read it, which most university libraries have. The researchers have used time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to measure excited state lifetimes of DNA molecules. They found--surprise!--that the mean lifetimes are dependent on the structure of the molecules, which is ultimately dependent on the sequence.
These are very difficult experiments to do, and the data is good, but there isn't anything particularly breathtaking about the results. Perhaps the resolution is a bit amazing. It is theoretically expected that sequences of 5'-d(AAGAAAAGAAAAGAAAAGAA)-3' and 5'-d(AAGAAGAAGAAGAAGAAGAA)-3' would have different decay properties, but you might not expect it to be measurable by an ensemble technique.
Anyway, none of this has anything to do with the summary. This isn't "light sensitivity" of DNA. This can't be applied to DNA sequencing, at least not in any practical way. And there is no possibility of repairing genetic mutations with light. The computing thing...also quite a bit of a stretch. Of course, this isn't Roland's fault. He just quoted the German press release....
I truly will devote a few minutes tonight offering any offerable karma that might benefit you. I don't know why you're on a mission to disparage me. I get it enough here, and you're way over the top. I don't know you, don't care to engage in duels, spars, barbs with you. I truly hope you find peace and calm in your life. Life is short. Try to enjoy it without undue stress. I'm sure you have talents and inclinations that could be of benefit to many many people. I'm not worth the energy you're expending. I'm not being facile or crazy with you. I'm actually hoping you do find relaxation and resolution and good things in life.
Regards.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"