In a release that sounds like science fiction, Scientists say they’ve created a new form of life. The team claims to have created a new type of bacteria nicknamed Syn57 that’s more streamlined than anything in nature. It’s a lab-made version of E. coli with a reduced genetic code: it uses only 57 codons instead of the usual 64. Codons are three-letter DNA sequences that build the proteins that make life work.
By cutting out seven codons, researchers made the bacteria more efficient, sort of doing more with less genetic “words.” This achievement shows we can reshape the basic blueprint of life. Syn57 is still alive and functioning, but it’s much simpler than natural organisms. It’s an important step in synthetic biology and suggests new possibilities for building life in smarter, leaner ways.
Source: Yahoo News