Andrea Tabi (@andreatabi.bsky.social)

Mirror life: Scientists clash over threat of lab-engineered bacteria 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... https://www.newscientist.com/article/2528281-mirror-life-scientists-clash-over-threat-of-lab-engineered-bacteria/?utm_campaign=RSS|NSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home