Look miles into the future and imagine a day, when geneticists can design a flawless set of human genes in a laboratory.
That future vision may never arrive, but it has taken a step closer.
Scientists have built a designer chromosome and inserted it into a cell, geneticist Jef Boeke from New York University announced this week.
The chromosome was a heavily altered version, a departure from its natural counterpart. A team of scientists from around the world made 500 changes to its genetic base.
"When you change the genome, you're gambling," said Boeke, who led the project. "One wrong change can kill the cell."
But the cell survived and made use of its new chromosome. It also reproduced, and subsequent cells carried the new chromosome forward.
Actually, make this breakthrough a second step closer to that way-out-there future.
Researchers were already able to duplicate a chromosome on a computer four years ago, build it in the lab, insert it into a cell and watch it work.
It was a huge advancement that created the first synthetic bacteria cell, scientists said then.
But, now, there's been a leap forward, Boeke said.
"Our research moves the needle in synthetic biology from theory to reality," he said.
It makes scientists more able to alter the design of living things.
The new chromosome and the cell Boeke's scientist built it for are much more complex and are closer to those of a human being.
The kind of cell Boeke used? Brewer's yeast.
Yeast cells, human cells, plant and animal cells have in common that they are "eukaryotes" -- cells with a nucleus wrapped in membrane.
Our chromosomes, which are located in those nuclei, are made of enormously long strings of DNA.
They are wound up like twists of yarn that take on that familiar "X" shape many associate with the genes they contain. And they are called eukaryotic chromosomes.
Boeke's breakthrough represents the first report that a whole eukaryotic chromosome was constructed from scratch, NYU said.
Boeke and his team call their new designer chromosome "synIII."
It took seven years and the help of 60 students to build synIII with the help of computer modeling.
Each student put together about 1,000 genetic molecule pairs called "base pairs" to make strings of DNA.
They were joined together to make a genetic strand 273,871 base pairs long.
That's actually shorter than the yeast's natural chromosome, which contained 316,667 base pairs.
And that's where the design and manipulation come in. Broeke and his team took out 47,841 base pairs that were repeats of other pairs -- along with some "junk" DNA.
The new designer chromosome is a cleaned up, streamlined version of the original.
Yeast has about 6,000 genes and shares about a third of them with humans, although yeast is a much simpler beast.
That makes it easier to study. In fact, its genetics are probably better known than those of any other living thing, NYU said.
Although Boeke studies human genetics, too, he is not planning to design a set of synthetic human chromosomes.
But he would like to build all 16 required for an entire yeast cell. And he has made some progress already.
Students are figuring out how to make DNA strands 10 times as long as the ones they made the first time around. It should speed up production of subsequent chromosomes.
Boeke also wants to improve upon the yeast cells in the process, now that his team can shuffle its genes around like cards in a deck.
"It will allow us to ask, can we make a deck of cards with a better hand for making yeast survive under any of a multitude of conditions, such as tolerating higher alcohol levels."
That might make for stronger glass of beer, but it could also have other uses: The new cells could possibly be programmed to "brew" medicines, vaccines and fuels.
[FRIENDLY JAB] It's probably a good idea that they are working on this since they can't get the goo in the sea to offer up anything new since they started watching for it. Also no reason to wait billions of years to allow evolution to create the perfect something. Look at how many billions of years it has been trying and still hasn't perfected anything. I guess that is why it gave up and quit. [/FRIENDLY JAB]
Really, I have no problem with this research. It's how we learn stuff.
I was reading another article about this, how they are leaving out some of the "extra" genes...I have a feeling that even though most "redundant" code might be just that, some of it is actually useful, that it serves some purpose. But nometimes, nature is a bit sloppy, I suppose.
But most critters have a BUNCH of "old code" - and some of it can be 'turned on'. it's like how some of the newer versions of Windows could use the old shell. or just replace the .exe with .txt, and the file will just sleep...
[FRIENDLY JAB] It's probably a good idea that they are working on this since they can't get the goo in the sea to offer up anything new since they started watching for it. Also no reason to wait billions of years to allow evolution to create the perfect something. Look at how many billions of years it has been trying and still hasn't perfected anything. I guess that is why it gave up and quit. [/FRIENDLY JAB]
Really, I have no problem with this research. It's how we learn stuff.
research...its how we learn stuff....aaaaand then we totally disregard it because it doesn't jive with some books some folks wrote a long time ago...books that got editied and cut up and re-arranged, and translated a few times...and now, it's perfect!
research...its how we learn stuff....aaaaand then we totally disregard it because it doesn't jive with some books some folks wrote a long time ago...books that got editied and cut up and re-arranged, and translated a few times...and now, it's perfect!
Which is crazy because when Science decides something, it is what it is forever! Science NEVER changes it's mind or is found to be inaccurate so we must bow down towards Silicon Valley every day at 1pm Central Time to honor the gods of research.
[This message has been edited by Boostdreamer (edited 04-01-2014).]
Which is crazy because when Science decides something, it is what it is forever! Science NEVER changes it's mind or is found to be inaccurate so we must bow down towards Silicon Valley every day at 1pm Central Time to honor the gods of research.
Umm, not even CLOSE. Science isn't an invisible imaginary friend. it's not a person. "It" doesn't "decide" anything. And it continually 'changes'...they even have a name for it --> The Scientific Method. By saying Science never changes, you reveal how ignorant you are regarding science...
If what you said was true about Science, we'd still be kickin' around Alchemy and such things. We'd disregard all that we have discovered about microscopic things...
It's not a perfect system, and new ideas/theories are harshly ridiculed...
But
One essential aspect of the advancement of our knowledge is to to weed out that which has been proven false, so we don't keep re-doing that same wrong experiments. But, they ARE still there to re-do, and rediscover the same results.
Man, the more you explore the old Religious texts, the harder it is to keep a straight face.
[This message has been edited by TheDigitalAlchemist (edited 04-01-2014).]
It is just chemistry... sooner or later we will control DNA... not as soon as people hope, but we are moving forward. It would be nice to be able to do more. No more cancer, no more transplants, etc. One step at a time.
Which is crazy because when Science decides something, it is what it is forever! Science NEVER changes it's mind or is found to be inaccurate so we must bow down towards Silicon Valley every day at 1pm Central Time to honor the gods of research.
So you're telling me that the scientific estimate for the age of the Earth has always been the same? Seems to me that they tack on a few years every so often.
Which is crazy because when Science decides something, it is what it is forever! Science NEVER changes it's mind or is found to be inaccurate so we must bow down towards Silicon Valley every day at 1pm Central Time to honor the gods of research.
An absolutely false paragraph! I don't mind hearing about how perfect your god is, but now I have to listen to you spout off falsehoods.
I can't challenge you because I can't prove your invisible friend exists. but you can chellenge me and prove much of what is in most science books. So you win, I guess?
When Science works,it works because... GOD! (where's that guy with the hair when i need him?)
An absolutely false paragraph! I don't mind hearing about how perfect your god is, but now I have to listen to you spout off falsehoods.
Grow the **** up. You can't leave things alone.
Leave what alone? The title of the thread says god. I think I've been quite humorous in this thread. If you don't like it, piss off. You are probably the most wishy-washy person on this board. Are you bi-polar? If so, please accept my appologies.
Leave what alone? The title of the thread says god. I think I've been quite humorous in this thread. If you don't like it, piss off. You are probably the most wishy-washy person on this board. Are you bi-polar? If so, please accept my appologies.
So you're telling me that the scientific estimate for the age of the Earth has always been the same? Seems to me that they tack on a few years every so often.
So ONE ridiculous, migrane-inducing number is better? 6,000 years? I have impacted meat-stuff in my colon which is older than that!
God Boy! GooooOooooood boy!
[This message has been edited by TheDigitalAlchemist (edited 04-01-2014).]
So ONE ridiculous, migrane-inducing number is better? 6,000 years? I have impacted meat-stuff in my colon which is older than that!
God Boy! GooooOooooood boy!
I cannot help that you are unable to recognize humor. Even when it is enclosed with "friendly jab". Like I said, I think I've been pretty funny here. I have NOT made any Christian arguments about the age of the earth or anything else. You guys always drag that stuff into the threads. Well, if that's what you want to talk about, I guess I'll help you with that. Don't like it? Don't bring it up.
Your VERY FIRST response to my post was a direct attack on me personally. I didn't attack you or Boonie or any other person. I made a joke then said I support the research mentioned in the OP. I'm sorry you feel such a deep desire to find an enemy. Get off your self-rightous, self-important high horse. EVERYTHING is open to debate, in the world and on this forum. Deal with it.
Now I will be watching for the order form for my personal Fifth Element.
Even Science can't improve Bacon(yet?). Bacon tastes yummy, cures cancer. But, it can improve anything just by wrapping it around something. Chicken. Scallops. Maybe wrap it around Chuck Norris, even...
or God. Yes, even God. Bacon-Wrapped God for the win!
Even Science can't improve Bacon(yet?). Bacon tastes yummy, cures cancer. But, it can improve anything just by wrapping it around something. Chicken. Scallops. Maybe wrap it around Chuck Norris, even...
or God. Yes, even God. Bacon-Wrapped God for the win!
bah....while I too enjoy tinkering with existing systems - these folks can not "make" anything. they can only modify existing.
start simple. make a living tree. out of no other living cells. THEN we have something.
and, I would like it if they did such work off earth, not even near orbit. the very theory of evolution should show that if they do make a better something - it will eventually leave the lessors extinct. maybe not humans, but even just the smallest part of the food chain ripples up.
Umm, not even CLOSE. Science isn't an invisible imaginary friend. it's not a person. "It" doesn't "decide" anything. And it continually 'changes'...they even have a name for it --> The Scientific Method. By saying Science never changes, you reveal how ignorant you are regarding science...
If what you said was true about Science, we'd still be kickin' around Alchemy and such things. We'd disregard all that we have discovered about microscopic things...
It's not a perfect system, and new ideas/theories are harshly ridiculed...
But
One essential aspect of the advancement of our knowledge is to to weed out that which has been proven false, so we don't keep re-doing that same wrong experiments. But, they ARE still there to re-do, and rediscover the same results.
Man, the more you explore the old Religious texts, the harder it is to keep a straight face.
Let's not forget how religion exercised authority over science for fear of it's impact on people's beliefs. Yeah, nothing dishonest ever happens in religion. How ironic.
Let's not forget how religion exercised authority over science for fear of it's impact on people's beliefs. Yeah, nothing dishonest ever happens in religion. How ironic.
I want to write that down so I don't forget it. What year did you say that was?
So you're telling me that the scientific estimate for the age of the Earth has always been the same? Seems to me that they tack on a few years every so often.
Yes, the theory evolves when better information becomes available. Exactly how science works...
genetic engineering is a tool, used by man. man decides whether it will be used for good or ill. the genie is out of the bottle, and now we get three wishes. be careful - genies are tricky.
genetic engineering is a tool, used by man. man decides whether it will be used for good or ill. the genie is out of the bottle, and now we get three wishes. be careful - genies are tricky.
Even Science can't improve Bacon(yet?). Bacon tastes yummy, cures cancer. But, it can improve anything just by wrapping it around something. Chicken. Scallops. Maybe wrap it around Chuck Norris, even...
or God. Yes, even God. Bacon-Wrapped God for the win!
"Concern trolling A particularly annoying form of trolling in which someone falsely pretends to be offering advice to favor a position they do not endorse; a creationist who masquerades as someone concerned about the arguments for evolution as an excuse to make criticisms. They like the challenge, the controversy and the argument; so they try to get you to contradict yourself or make unsupportable claims so they can call you on it, while still making it seem that maybe they are just trying to understand."
