Who says that DNA can not be compromised. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard have recently managed to find a way to edit the genetic code of DNA in living cells alias. This capability enables them to give new functions to cells, such as building proteins are not found in nature or design bacteria that can resist viral infection.
Wow! The technology found it could overwrite the DNA in genes. As the function Find-and-Replace in word processing programs (like Microsoft Word). The team was able to make hundreds of edits on the bacterial genes of E. coli without damaging the cell function.
"Initially, we were viewed skeptically by biologists," said Peter Carr of MIT. "You make a lot of intense changes in the gene, you'd think it was something wrong."
Almost all living cells use the same genetic code, in which there are 64 codon or DNA. When most of the produce amino acids, some of which instructs the cells when to stop adding amino acids into protein chains. MIT and Harvard researchers are targeting one of several this codon TAG that contains the code.
To be edited, the researchers first used genome-wide automated multiplex systems engineering (Mage) to replace a codon stop codon TAG, namely, TAA, in the cells of E. coli living. In order for the process can be managed, they first use the mage to 32 properties menukangi E. coli, each of which has 10 codon TAG to be replaced.
To combine those traits and ultimately culminate in one that has 314 edits, researchers developed a new technology called conjugative genome assembly engineering (CAGE), which precisely control the natural process carried the bacteria to replace the missing genetic material. A continuation of bacteria built neighboring cells then provide codon TAA for the neighbors.
Researchers such as a playoff system building, where each trait shared DNA with one other trait. After this double way, the scientists found four properties, which a quarter is TAG that can be substituted. They sure can produce one single trait that has been combined with all the 314 substitution.
Once all of the TAG stop codon eliminated, the next step is to remove the cell's machinery that reads codon TAG and make it perform other functions, such as encoding an amino acid. Slot plug-and-play variety that would provide flexibility for experts in designing cells that produce new proteins.
With such a genetic editing, scientists could create a bacteria that can resist viruses. This is useful for pharmaceutical and energy industries, where the virus affects 20 percent of their production activities. However, the virus can only infect a cell when the same bacterium and the genetic code.
The way it also creates a firewall that prevents bacteria from spreading genetically their genes into naturally occurring bacteria on the outside or make the bacteria survive in the wild.
