- #1
- 3,759
- 4,199
How many genes does it take to make a living organism? Scientists at the J Craig Venter Institute published a paper today in the journal Science describing the design and synthesis of a bacteria containing the minimal set of genes required for that organism to live. Their work leverages their earlier work figuring out how to chemically synthesize genomes, allowing them to systematically remove genes and other sequences from the bacterial genome until they reach the point where they could not remove any more genes without dramatically affecting the growth and replication of the bacterium. In the end, identified a set of 473 genes that they term the minimal genome.
Although many of these genes are well studied and what one might expect to be required, about 30% of the genes have unknown function. While there are organisms with smaller genomes, most of these are parasitic and rely on their hosts for many biological functions. The synthetic bacteria described in the paper has the smallest genome of any known autonomously replicating organism. The work could provide a nice model system for efforts to computationally model life, and provides a nice platform for designing synthetic genomes with new functions.
Publication: Hutchison et al. (2016) Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome. Science 351: aad6253. doi:10.1126/science.aad6253
Popular press summary: http://www.theatlantic.com/science/...s-shows-how-little-we-know-about-life/475053/
Although many of these genes are well studied and what one might expect to be required, about 30% of the genes have unknown function. While there are organisms with smaller genomes, most of these are parasitic and rely on their hosts for many biological functions. The synthetic bacteria described in the paper has the smallest genome of any known autonomously replicating organism. The work could provide a nice model system for efforts to computationally model life, and provides a nice platform for designing synthetic genomes with new functions.
Publication: Hutchison et al. (2016) Design and synthesis of a minimal bacterial genome. Science 351: aad6253. doi:10.1126/science.aad6253
Popular press summary: http://www.theatlantic.com/science/...s-shows-how-little-we-know-about-life/475053/