Animal's genetic code redesigned

M

Mrs.Lucysnow

Valued Senior Member
Researchers say they have created the first ever animal with artificial information in its genetic code.

The technique, they say, could give biologists "atom-by-atom control" over the molecules in living organisms.

One expert the BBC spoke to agrees, saying the technique would be seized upon by "the entire biology community".

The work by a Cambridge University team, which used nematode worms, appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The worms - from the species Caenorhabditis elegans - are 1mm long, with just a thousand cells in their transparent bodies.

What makes the newly created animals different is that their genetic code has been extended to create biological molecules not known in the natural world...

Just 20 amino acids are used in natural living organisms, assembled in different combinations to make the tens of thousands of different proteins needed to sustain life.

But Sebastian Greiss and Jason Chin have re-engineered the nematode worm's gene-reading machinery to include a 21st amino acid, not found in nature.

Dr Chin of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (where Francis Crick and James Watson first cracked the structure of DNA) describes the technique as "potentially transformational": designer proteins could be created that are entirely under the researchers' control....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14492948


What can this be used for in the future?

What are the practical uses of this breakthrough ?
 
Interesting to me that science really knows very little about how the human brain and body function in regards to how to attain and maintain human health, yet are quite happy to rush down this new path of adventure.

The potential remains to be seen, and I confess to being cynical, based on observation of other 'wonderful discoveries.'
 
scheherazade said:
Interesting to me that science really knows very little about how the human brain and body function in regards to how to attain and maintain human health, yet are quite happy to rush down this new path of adventure.

The potential remains to be seen, and I confess to being cynical, based on observation of other 'wonderful discoveries.'
Click to expand...

It's the other way around. In order to understand such complex systems as the human brain, we need to go through understanding simpler systems. If I'm not mistaken, C.elegans is the simplest of all organisms in the animalia kingdom.
 
PETA can be a real nuisance sometimes . Specially when they jump out in front of a bullet to protect Bambi . I hate that when that happens
 
Well I'm still confused because I still don't know nor understand what use this discovery has, I'm not suggesting there isn't one I'm just asking 'where are they going with this?'

When I read sentences like "...their genetic code has been extended to create biological molecules not known in the natural world." I'm thinking why would you want or need biological molecules unknown in the natural world.

Is it like 'wow look at what i've done' and then its ignored until someone actually finds a need for it?
 
Mrs.Lucysnow said:
I'm just asking 'where are they going with this?'
Click to expand...

We don't know yet.

When I read sentences like "...their genetic code has been extended to create biological molecules not known in the natural world." I'm thinking why would you want or need biological molecules unknown in the natural world.
Click to expand...

Again, I don't think we know yet. As examples, why would anyone need a better pectin enzyme or a stronger version of amylase? Most don't. But sometimes they can come in handy.
 
scheherazade said:
Interesting to me that science really knows very little about how the human brain and body function in regards to how to attain and maintain human health
Click to expand...
You think?
I'm constantly amazed at how much detail is known about how our bodies function.
 
Mrs.Lucysnow said:
Well I'm still confused because I still don't know nor understand what use this discovery has, I'm not suggesting there isn't one I'm just asking 'where are they going with this?'

When I read sentences like "...their genetic code has been extended to create biological molecules not known in the natural world." I'm thinking why would you want or need biological molecules unknown in the natural world.

Is it like 'wow look at what i've done' and then its ignored until someone actually finds a need for it?
Click to expand...

I don't know what their motivation for this specific research is, but there is probably a lot of money involved, so I can see how they could be interested in using microorganisms as machinery to produce reagents, solvents, etc...
Just like you put some sour cream into milk and the lactobacilli make you some cultured milk, you could throw some bacteria into a goo dish and have them produce something useful. Having the additional amino acid there probably makes it a realistic possibility.
 
Varda said:
I don't know what their motivation for this specific research is, but there is probably a lot of money involved, so I can see how they could be interested in using microorganisms as machinery to produce reagents, solvents, etc...
Just like you put some sour cream into milk and the lactobacilli make you some cultured milk, you could throw some bacteria into a goo dish and have them produce something useful. Having the additional amino acid there probably makes it a realistic possibility.
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Ah! Thank you. That was the kind of explanation I was looking for.

...As long as they are not going to try and use it for food products.:p
 
The journal article:
Expanding the Genetic Code of an Animal
Greiss S, Chin JW. J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Aug 8. [Epub ahead of print]
DOI: 10.1021/ja2054034

ABSTRACT:
Genetic code expansion, for the site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins, is currently limited to cultured cells and unicellular organisms. Here we expand the genetic code of a multicellular animal, the nematode C. elegans.​

The purpose of this research is given in the paper:
The
 genetically
 encoded
 site-specific
 incorporation
 of
 unnatural
 amino
 acids
 into
 proteins
 in
 multicellular
 organisms
 would facilitate 
the 
extension 
of 
molecular 
tools
 for
 dissecting
 and
 controlling
 biological
 processes
 inside
 cells
 to
 the
 study
 of
 complex
 processes
 in
 whole
 organisms.
 This
 is
 important
 because
 many
 fundamental
 biological
 processes,
 including
 those
 involved
 in
 neural
 processing 
and
 development - 
where
 unnatural 
amino
 acid
 mutagenesis could
 provide 
much 
needed 
new
 insight - can
 only 
be 
studied 
in 
animals.​

So it's a tool to learn more.
 
In medical biomolecular research, at least.

I'm studying medicine, so my understanding is more clinical than hard science, but my vague understanding is that a lot of biomolecular research is about finding out:
- what particular proteins are produced (or not)
- in response to which specific genes are expressed (or not)
- in what particular cells
- in response to what particular triggers
- and how those proteins interact with drugs, other proteins, electrolytes, and other body chemistry

But observing particular proteins is hard to do, particularly in a living cell.

Biomolecular tricks like green fluorescent protein and the one in this research give researchers way to "tag" particular proteins so they can be observed.

For example, from Wikipedia:
Dividing_Cell_Fluorescence.jpg

This is a dividing cancer cell, with particular proteins identified by different fluorescent tags.
 
Mrs.Lucysnow said:
What can this be used for in the future?

What are the practical uses of this breakthrough ?
Click to expand...


At the moment this is a laboratory genetic tool for basic research into the physiological roles of proteins in cell biology, and now whole-organism development as a result of this new development. It may have broader applications in the future, like the engineering of specific protein functions for biomedical, bioremediation and commercial purposes.

Here are the words of the researchers themselves taken from their publication:

The application of unnatural amino acid mutagenesis to the production of recombinant proteins allows access to modified proteins, including proteins bearing defined post-translational modifications, for structural biology, enzymology, and single molecule studies. The genetically encoded incorporation of photocaged amino acids in living cells allows the photocontrol of protein interactions, protein localization, enzymatic activity and cellular signaling, while the incorporation of photo-crosslinking amino acids allows the mapping of weak or transient protein interactions, including those in membranes, that are challenging to define by non-covalent approaches, and the incorporation of bio-orthogonal chemical handles and biophysical probes are facilitating emerging approaches for protein imaging and spectroscopy.

The genetically encoded site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in multicellular organisms would facilitate the extension of molecular tools for dissecting and controlling biological processes inside cells to the study of complex processes in whole organisms. This is important because many fundamental biological processes, including those involved in neural processing and development, where unnatural amino acid mutagenesis could provide much needed new insight can only be studied in animals. Here we report the first genetic code expansion in an animal the nematode worm C. elegans.

Expanding the Genetic Code of an Animal
Sebastian Greiss and Jason W Chin
J. Am. Chem. Soc., Just Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1021/ja2054034
Publication Date (Web): August 8, 2011
Click to expand...
 
Pete said:
You think?
I'm constantly amazed at how much detail is known about how our bodies function.
Click to expand...

Considerable detail IS known.

Considerably more remains to be learned.

From the information posted by Hercules Rockefeller:

The genetically encoded site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins in multicellular organisms would facilitate the extension of molecular tools for dissecting and controlling biological processes inside cells to the study of complex processes in whole organisms. This is important because many fundamental biological processes, including those involved in neural processing and development, where unnatural amino acid mutagenesis could provide much needed new insight can only be studied in animals.
Click to expand...

I remain concerned about our manipulations at the cellular level. I understand the need and purpose of research, but our tendency to rush into early applications for financial gain before long term effects are known is a matter of record.
 
scheherazade said:
I remain concerned about our manipulations at the cellular level.
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There is no need. Cells are manipulated at the genetic, biochemical and cellualr level every day in countless labs all over the world. The research in question is merely a basic science investigation of fundmental cellular processes. In fact, it's not even that yet. It's merely a proof-of-concept development of a gentic tool that will allow basic science experiments. There is no financial gain to be made yet, and there is clearly no "rushing" - they are simply grant-funded university scientists performing research. Research scientists in the biological sciences are woefully underpaid compared to comparable jobs in industry.
 
You only need to wory when they unleash their creations ignoring the precautionary principles. Like with gmos and corexit.
 
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