Scientists from Japan managed for the first time to create artificial genomic DNA that can reproduce and develop not cells. This is reported in a study published in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology.
Reproduction and development are key characteristics of living organisms. Artificial materials with such characteristics have not been created until now. In order to artificially start a system capable of reproduction and development, the information encoded in DNA must be translated into RNA. start the process of protein expression and maintain the cycle of DNA replication with proteins for a certain time.
Japanese scientists from the University of Tokyo managed to create an artificial replication system. It involves two genes – the DNA replication enzyme Phi29 and Cre recombinase. The launched cycle developed over 60 days. Scientists argue that the results of the study could be used in the production of food and pharmaceuticals.
.