"Molecular recorder" will reveal the secrets of brain development
For the first time a primitive film was encoded in living DNA cells and then shown from them. Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) say it's an important step toward a "molecular recorder" that might one day make it possible to get readouts, for example, from the changing internal states of nerve cells as they develop.
"We want to turn cells into historians," explained neurophysicist Seth Shipman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "We envision a biological memory system that is much smaller and more versatile than today's technologies, which will track many events non-invasively over time."
Shipman and Harvard Ph.D.s George Church, Jeffrey McCleese and Jeff Nivala report their proof-of-concept for a future "molecular teleprinter film" online July 12 in the journal Nature. The work was funded by the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Human Genome Research Institute.
The ability to record such continuous events like a movie at the molecular level is key to the idea of reinventing the very concept of recording using molecular engineering, the researchers say. With this method, it will be possible to make the cells themselves record molecular events - such as changes in gene expression over time - in their genomes. After that, it will be possible to retrieve the information simply by sequencing the genomes of the cells in which it is stored.
"If we have these transcriptional steps, we can potentially use them like a recipe to engineer similar cells," Shipman added. "It will be possible to use these to create disease models - or even treatments."
First of all, the researchers had to show that DNA could be used to encode into a genome not only genetic information but also any arbitrary sequential information. To do this, they turned to CRISPR, the advanced gene editing technology funded by the NIH. First they demonstrated that they could encode and retrieve an image of a human hand in DNA inserted into bacteria. They then similarly coded and reconstructed images (frames) from a classic 19s image sequence showing a racing horse in motion—an early version of a motion picture.
The researchers had previously shown that they could use CRISPR to store DNA sequences in bacteria. CRISPR is a group of proteins and DNA that acts like an immune system in certain bacteria, inoculating them with genetic memories of viral infections. When a virus infects a bacterium, CRISPR cuts out part of the foreign DNA and stores it in the bacterium's genome. The bacterium then uses the stored DNA to identify the virus and defend itself against future attacks.
"Because of the continuous nature of CRISPR, it is an attractive system for recording events over time," explained Shipman.
The researchers then similarly translated five images from the sequence of images of the racing horse in motion into DNA. For five days, they treated the bacteria continuously in a patch of translated DNA. Then, they were able to recreate the film with 90 percent accuracy by sequencing the bacteria's DNA.
Although this technology could be used in a variety of ways, the researchers hope to eventually use it for brain research.
"We want to use neurons to record a molecular history of the brain during development," Shipman said. "Such a molecular recorder will eventually allow us to collect data from every cell in the brain at once, without having to gain access, observe the cells directly, or interfere with the system to extract genetic material or proteins."
to the announcement of the National Institutes of Health
video:
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Who wrote that in silicon computers "electrical signals travel in metal wires that connect electronic components"?
This is true of handset computers of eighty years ago. After that came the transistor computers, followed by the silicon computers. In a silicon chip like "wires" and "components", millions of them, as if printed on a centimeter-sized silicon chip. Since the information flows at the speed of light, when the physical size of the logic circuit was reduced millions of times, the execution speed also increased millions of times. And all this is an old story from the eighties.
And how will the bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier? Friends?
It doesn't make sense!!! For the study of real-time neurons, since if CRISPR tears pieces of DNA from them, it will actually destroy/collapse them. So it is not accurate to claim that we have a brain recorder in our hands. We have a molecular knife in the hands of a pathologist.
correct me father
And of course the question arises: does such a film indicate planning or a natural process. Think about the next step: a robot that will be composed of organic matter (will contain dna and proteins and a replication machine).
Because the DNA coil has a lot of meaningless sequence, meaning a lot of space that is not coded for genes and apparently has no use (or we still don't know what its use is) both in the spaces between the genes and at the end of the coil (telomeres)
This will make it possible in the future to write information or books or to insert movies into the DNA of plants or animals, the animals will be able to reproduce and keep this information in all their generations.
For example, if a genetically engineered plant is produced in the future, it will be possible to insert all the details of the development and the sources, as well as the manufacturer's name and address, and even a picture of him into the DNA of that plant, or the details of the patent registration, warnings against copyright infringement, and more (as is done today in software codes) .
An article that mentioned the tape that was invented to prove that all of a horse's legs can be in the air at the same time while galloping. The article in "Hidan":
https://www.hayadan.org.il/eadweard-muybridge-090412