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Scientists built a synthetic cell that combines more lifelike properties than ever before — proof of concept that it’s possible to bring nonliving materials to life, or something close to it, in the l...

New modelling suggests that even if we could create cells based on mirror-image biomolecules, their natural counterparts would outcompete them in the wild

Microbes based on mirror images of molecules in the natural world would have a hard time surviving outside the laboratory, according to a modelling study. To do so, they would need a ready supply of “mirror food”, or some novel way to feed themselves. But the research has drawn a backlash from other experts in the field who warn that it may underestimate the grave risks posed by so-called mirror life. Many biological molecules, such as DNA and proteins, are chiral, which means they can exist in either left-handed or right-handed forms. Like your left and right hands, they are mirror images of each other, and cannot be superimposed. But all life on Earth uses right-handed DNA molecules and left-handed protein molecules, which enables cellular machinery to fit together properly. While it is not yet technically feasible, one day it may be possible to manufacture organisms in which the handedness, or chirality, of molecules is reversed. In 2024, 38 scientists published a paper in Science calling for work towards the creation of mirror life to be halted because of the dangers such organisms may pose – for example, immune systems may not be able to recognise and defend against mirror...

Péter Magyar’s Tisza party wins election as prime minister concedes defeat, in result likely to reshape ties with EU * Hungary election live Hungary’s opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has won the election, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House and reshape the country’s relationship with the EU. Less than three hours after polls closed on Sunday, Orbán conceded defeat after what he described as a “painful but unambiguous” election result. Continue reading...

Job Description Summary Organization's Summary Statement: The Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park seeks applications for three quantitative biology postdoctoral fellow po...

The process of evolution by natural selection leads to fitness-maximising phenotypes. On the level of cellular chemical reaction networks, maximising fitness can mean optimising a variety of fitness f...