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New Life From Six-Letter Genetic Code

Beware, science is going down unexplored roads. Bacteria that are semi-synthetic are being created with a six-letter genetic code. New forms of life useful to Man could be on offer.  Hopefully, they will be used in medical treatment. "Normal" life has a base of four letters. Escherichia coli is a bacteria which has a synthetic pair of X and Y blended into it. The six bases stay together despite not conforming to the usual ruling double helix model. The E. coli was manipulated to more readily take the pair into its DNA. Also the Y base was made easier for the searching enzymes to find. Bacteria that resisted the pair were selected out to create an ideal "host" E.coli . We are a long way from having practical helper organisms. Maybe ten years down the track there will something we can use. Until then it will remain a dream. GENETICS Tys Outback Amusing Animal Pics Peculiar Weird Things Reviews ● Vista Computer Answers     .

Much to Learn About the Human Genome

It was thought that once the human genome was known "interpreting" how things work would be easy. However, this is not the case. The hereditary sequencing in our genes is not the only factor determining what we are and what we do. Only 3 per cent of human genes are actually involved in the "code". Little is known about what the rest do. It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes. In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they