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Showing 6 posts tagged Genetic Engineering
Researchers creating ‘Hell Cell’ microbe that could survive on Mars
Undergraduate researchers at Stanford and Brown Universities are at work creating what they call a “Hell Cell” — a synthetic microbe hardy enough to withstand the harsh conditions of space, as reported by Wired. They are using “biobricks,” or pre-packaged gene sequences from other environmentally durable organisms, called extremophiles, to create a multipurpose microbe that can mine minerals and perform other beneficial tasks on other planets. The students are part of the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) challenge, an annual competition where students use synthetic biology to create useful microorganisms. If you’d like to find out more about these indestructible cells that may or may not make the plot of Red Planet a reality, Stanford-Brown’s iGEM page has all the recombinant information you could want.
Spies could hide messages in gene-modified microbes
Forget invisible ink or lemon juice – spies can now send messages hidden in genetically engineered bacteria. The new method, dubbed steganography by printed arrays of microbes (SPAM), uses a collection of Escherichia coli strains modified with fluorescent proteins that glow in a range of seven colours.
Each character of the message is encoded using two colours, creating 49 possible combinations – enough for the alphabet, the figures 0 to 9 and a few other symbols.
It is also possible to develop bacteria that lose their fluorescent properties over time, creating a message that self-destructs in the style of Mission Impossible.
Automated genetic tinkering is just the start – this machine could be used to rewrite the language of life and create new species of humans.
IT IS a strange combination of clumsiness and beauty. Sitting on a cheap-looking worktop is a motley ensemble of flasks, trays and tubes squeezed onto a home-made frame. Arrays of empty pipette tips wait expectantly. Bunches of black and grey wires adorn its corners. On the top, robotic arms slide purposefully back and forth along metal tracks, dropping liquids from one compartment to another in an intricately choreographed dance. Inside, bacteria are shunted through slim plastic tubes, and alternately coddled, chilled and electrocuted. The whole assembly is about a metre and a half across, and controlled by an ordinary computer. Say hello to the evolution machine. It can achieve in days what takes genetic engineers years. So far it is just a prototype, but if its proponents are to be believed, future versions could revolutionise biology, allowing us to evolve new organisms or rewrite whole genomes with ease. It might even transform humanity itself. These days everything from your food and clothes to the medicines you take may well come from genetically modified plants or bacteria. The first generation of engineered organisms has been a huge hit with farmers and manufacturers - if not consumers. And this is just the start. So far organisms have only been changed in relatively crude and simple ways, often involving just one or two genes. To achieve their grander ambitions, such as creating algae capable of churning out fuel for cars, genetic engineers are now trying to make far more sweeping changes.
Heart of Darkness
Regarding your recent post about genetics. There are many moral implications in this, of the kind that also arise when the question of circumcision without child consent is brought to bear. What will be the model of perfection kept in mind during alteration? Who, and what purpose would this model serve if realized?
I haven’t given it much thought, but at this point I think that this kind of service would be most useful in eliminating certain physical and mental occurrences that reduce well being.
My inner voice shouts at me, “Who’s definition of well being are we using? If allowed to eliminate certain traits, where does it stop? How can this be regulated - who selects which traits can and can’t be modified?”
As you can see, I’m full of incomplete thoughts when it comes to genetic engineering. What do you feel is permissible when it comes to this modification?
— dylanf
It should remain within an individual’s realm to decide without coercion. Some people simply choose to not procreate because of the genetic risk of passing on debilitating conditions. The operating term here being: Choice. The concern is as the number of individuals who alter their genes increases, animosity may rise towards those who decline from giving the same consideration, being maimed as irresponsible or a danger to humanity.
It is not so much a struggle between the good and evil of genetic engineering as it is a fight with the collective darkness humanity has seeded since its emergence. It really comes down to transcending the ego and the nature of prejudice. There has always been a need for an enemy for those who remain ensnared by fear. Religion, politics, gender, take your pick, every arena has seen the same battle told and retold under different guises.
Just what consumers need, eugenics at their fingertips…
While I appreciate both the scientific and philosophical considerations of developments in genetic engineering there seems to be a lack of education and thorough discussion as these technologies trickle down the line. Beyond efficacy or safety, I am mostly skeptical over whether or not this should be a direct-to-consumer service. Granted, the consumers are probably biologists or geneticists employing this for their research. To what end, is the question.
Thoughts?
