For the first time, scientists succeeded in designing and building a genetically engineered artificial creature: a bacterium, whose body is based on amino acid - one of the most basic building blocks of any living organism. The amino acid was used by the bacteria to make protein. But this protein has no sibling and example today in nature. He is different
For the first time, scientists succeeded in designing and building a genetically engineered artificial creature: a bacterium, whose body is based on amino acid - one of the most basic building blocks of any living organism. The amino acid was used by the bacteria to make protein. But this protein has no sibling and example today in nature. He is different.
The research work carried out at the Scripps Institute in La Hula, California, was defined as "one of the greatest scientific achievements of recent times". The technique used by the scientists promises to break new paths for the creation of sophisticated medicines in the future. while saving costs.
The genetic material, the DNA, of every living organism on earth is based on a code made up of three letters. They are called "codons". Using this code, the 20 amino acids of all living things are produced. But the American research team brought the artificial bacteria that was engineered - a strain version - E.coli to produce a different amino acid than the known ones. It is marked as acid No. 21 and serves as a basis for creating a new protein.
The bacterium, it was said, used only sugar and water to build the amino acid. The scientists explained that to build the artificial bacterium they took genes from another bacterium and also a gene derived from the sperm of a marine mammal. It is required for the metabolic process (metabolism) that is carried out during the creation of the protein. The new type of amino acid worked as well as any of the other 20 known.
