Broad discussion is needed to chart a path forward
Katarzyna P. Adamala, Deepa Agashe, Yasmine Belkaid, Daniela Matias de C. Bittencourt, Yizhi Cai, Matthew W. Chang, Irene A. Chen, George M. Church, Vaughn S. Cooper, Mark M. Davis, Neal K. Devaraj, Drew Endy, Kevin M. Esvelt, John I. Glass, Timothy W. Hand, Thomas V. Inglesby, Farren J. Isaacs, Wilmot G. James, Jonathan D. G. Jones, Michael S. Kay, Richard E. Lenski, Chenli Liu, Ruslan Medzhitov, Matthew L. Nicotra, Sebastian B. Oehm, Jaspreet Pannu, David A. Relman, Petra Schwille, James A. Smith, Hiroaki Suga, Jack W. Szostak, Nicholas J. Talbot, James M. Tiedje, J. Craig Venter, Gregory Winter, Weiwen Zhang, Xinguang Zhu, and Maria T. Zuber
Science
12 Dec 2024
Vol 386, Issue 6728
pp. 1351-1353
Abstract
All known life is homochiral. DNA and RNA are made from “righthanded” nucleotides, and proteins are made from “left-handed” amino acids. Driven by curiosity and plausible applications, some researchers had begun work toward creating lifeforms composed entirely of mirror-image biological molecules. Such mirror organisms would constitute a radical departure from known life, and their creation warrants careful consideration. The capability to create mirror life is likely at least a decade away and would require large investments and major technical advances; we thus have an opportunity to consider and preempt risks before they are realized. Here, we draw on an indepth analysis of current technical barriers, how they might be eroded by technological progress, and what we deem to be unprecedented and largely overlooked risks (1). We call for broader discussion among the global research community, policy-makers, research funders, industry, civil society, and the public to chart an appropriate path forward.
Access the full article
View all access options to continue reading this article.
Supplementary Materials
This PDF file includes:
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads9158
- Download
- 280.29 KB
References and Notes
2
J. H. Brewster, M. Laskowski Jr., Science 258, 1289 (1992).
4
B. E. Young, N. Kundu, J. T. Sczepanski, Chemistry (Basel) 25, 7981 (2019).
5
K. Harrison, A. S. Mackay, L. Kambanis, J. W. C. Maxwell, R. J. Payne, Nat. Rev. Chem. 7, 383 (2023).
6
Y. Xu, T. F. Zhu, Science 378, 405 (2022).
7
N. J. Gaut, K. P. Adamala, Adv. Biol. 5, e2000188 (2021).
8
D. G. Gibson et al., Science 329, 52 (2010).
9
F. Rohden, J. D. Hoheisel, H.-J. Wieden, Trends Biochem. Sci. 46, 931 (2021).
10
M. Tong et al., mBio 11, e02259 (2020).
11
H. M. Dintzis, D. E. Symer, R. Z. Dintzis, L. E. Zawadzke, J. M. Berg, Proteins 16, 306 (1993).
12
M. Uppalapati et al., ACS Chem. Biol. 11, 1058 (2016).
13
P. C. Sedman et al., Gastroenterology 107, 643 (1994).
14
S. Jin, D. Wetzel, M. Schirmer, Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 67, 102147 (2022).
15
S. D. Blacksell et al., Lancet Microbe 5, e194 (2024).