Kate Adamala

Workshop14 — Build-a-Cell

Build-A-Cell Workshop (#14) on 10 May at Stanford University, USA.
Registration is now open
For more information, visit www.buildacell.org/workshop14
#syncell #syntheticcell #research
@kateadamala.bsky.social

From RNA-peptide coevolution to cellular life at heated air bubbles | BubbleLife | Projekt | Fact Sheet | HORIZON | CORDIS | European Commission "The origin of life on Earth is one of humanity's profound mysteries that lacks scientific answers. We aim to answer this fundamental question by performing pioneering experiments starting from the Da...

Interested in a #postdoc in #originsoflife research? Are you a geek who loves #RNA, #RNAseq and tinkering, with a background in #biochemistry, #chemistry or #biophysics? Join #bubblelife! Apply now by email (CV + a short motivation letter)!
cordis.europa.eu/project/id/1...

Stay tuned :) We're about to post on archive a protocol that will solve the problem. The precious Roche stocks will be replaced by warm fresh homemade tRNAs.

Mirror life is a scientific fantasy leading to a dangerous reality − a synthetic biologist explains how mirror bacteria could conquer life on Earth Synthetic cells that look just like natural cells but are chemically reversed could outcompete other living organisms − with dire consequences for human health and the environment.

A synthetic biologist first saw “mirror life” as a way to answer biological questions and drive innovation. But through studying its immunology and ecology, she came to realize its potentially dire environmental and health risks. https://buff.ly/41j7NyQ
By @kateadamala.bsky.social

Unfortunately yes.
We need to engineer new pathway, either with a racemase or starting with achiral precursors.

Yes.
I'm hoping the attention will help with making plans.

Me too. That's why this whole thing in the first place. I hope common sense (in short supply recently) will actually prevail.

Antimatter life would at least be useful. Make a planet into nice fireworks.

The cheerful holiday thought here is that people who worked on mirror life recognized the concerns and will now work against it ever being built.
The timing is nice, that's a Christmas present for all of us.

They would likely not be resistant to mirror antibiotics.

Still should not be made.

That's kind of the point though, we will _not_ make it.
We're determined to leave wiping of us to the climate and other already existing threats, without adding a new one.

Origin of life is harder process than rational design. Mirror cell engineered in the lab would be fully baked, with all pathways needed for survival. Origins of life produces millions of years of wimpy barely-alive things. That's why we don't see any alternative trees of life - infant mortality.

If the original has mustache, then mirror clone would have a goatee.

That's actually an not-happened existential crisis that might be calming to read about, because surprisingly and for a change we did the right thing.

Anyone fighting in favor of making mirror life can go eat a hotdog without ketchup. 🤢

We kind of took the stove away. Or rather, decided not to build it.

not now, and not ever.

A week ago, we had less. Just people working on it without discussion of concerns.
That's progres I'd rather have than not.

True. We identified the threat. But we're also the people who have influence over this field, we're it. So preventing is on the table.
I would rather at least try, than ignore it and hope.

We're far enough away from actually knowing how to build the thing, that calling it quits right now is a pretty good safeguard. We're stopping early enough.

Nah, this is actually good, calming reading. The take home message is that we identified the threat and prevented it.
I'd much more worry if the message was "trust us it'll be done safely", then you want to run for the hills.

It's only 300 pages, light reading for the weekend.

D-protein therapeutics will be great. Same as Spiegelmer drugs.
I hope that discussion on not making a whole replicating mirror cell with serve to point out how non-replicating polymers are actually safe and have impactful applications.

It would be a turtle in a world of hares.
But a turtle with an invisibility cloak, able to bide it's time and grow persistently.

We're more like ringing a dinner bell than alarm bell: we want to bring people together for a discussion. It's working: we're talking about it right here.
I would rather have those conversations while mirror cells do not exist, than have to scramble if they do exist and our concerns were right.

Ever _if_ we're totally wrong, would it not be better to _not_ find out?
There is enough concerns that warrant at least caution. There is no application or research question important enough to justify that risk.

A ‘Second Tree of Life’ Could Wreak Havoc, Scientists Warn (Gift Article) Research on so-called mirror cells, which defy fundamental properties of living organisms, should be prohibited as too dangerous, biologists said.

Over 30 prominent scientists call for a ban on the creation of a "mirror cell"--a microbe made of molecules that are mirror images of their natural forms. It could cause a mind-boggling global disaster. Here's my story [gift link] 🧪https://nyti.ms/3OUCXp6