[ad_1]
On Thursday, the researchers announced that they were able to create a DNA-like molecular system capable of storing and transmitting information. This is not a life form, but the genetic system represents what an alternative to life based on DNA can look like.
It could also help scientists keep a different picture in mind when looking for life elsewhere in the universe.
"The detection of life is an increasingly important goal of NASA's global science missions, and this new work will help us develop effective instruments and experiments that will expand the reach of what we are looking for," he said. Lori Glaze, Acting Director of NASA's Global Science Division, in a report.
DNA is like a toolbox that stores and transmits vital information transmitted from a living organism to its offspring. The ingredients of the molecule, called nucleotides, are four components called adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine.
Synthetic DNA includes these components as well as four others that act as copies of the information contained in the DNA. This creates the double-helix structure that works to store and transfer information, according to the study. Like classical DNA, it can also evolve information.
The research team from universities across the United States called the DNA hachimoji; in Japanese, the name means "eight letters".
"By carefully analyzing the roles of shape, size and structure in hachimoji's DNA, this work helps to better understand the types of molecules likely to store information in extraterrestrial life on extraterrestrial worlds," he said. said Steven Benner, founder of the Foundation for Applied. Molecular Evolution in Alachua, Florida, in a statement.
The study is only the beginning of a broader discussion about the types of genetic systems that can support the formation of life and their possible location. But by structuring something from abroad, it is a little easier to imagine living in a region than one would have thought inhospitable.
For example, NASA is interested in the oceanic worlds of our solar system, such as the Europa Moons and Enceladus, as potential sites for life beyond the Earth. Meanwhile, the Curiosity rover is looking for evidence of past life on Mars.
"Integrating a broader understanding of what is possible in the design of our instruments and mission concepts will result in a more inclusive and therefore more effective search for life beyond the Earth." said Mary Voytek, a senior scientist in astrobiology at NASA headquarters.
[ad_2]
Source link