Genetically engineered E. coli bacteria with condensed DNA exhibiting superior resistance to viruses in a groundbreaking genetic advancement.
Revolutionary Synthetic E. coli Strain Unveiled
Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge have made a groundbreaking discovery, creating a strain of Escherichia coli named Syn57. This extraordinary organism functions with just 57 codons, a significant reduction from the 64 codons universally found in life forms [1][3].
To achieve this, the team eliminated seven codons, including four that encode serine, two that encode alanine, and one stop codon, and replaced them with synonymous codons that produce the same amino acids or signals [1][3]. This simplified genetic code is a monumental step towards understanding and manipulating the genetic code.
The creation of Syn57 required an immense genetic rewrite, involving the recoding of over 101,000 codons across a 4 million base-pair synthetic genome. This unprecedented genome engineering effort marks Syn57 as the most radically recoded organism to date, representing a new chapter in our understanding and manipulation of the genetic code [1][3].
Despite its radically altered code, Syn57 grows and functions, demonstrating the resilience of life's fundamental code. The team addressed any issues that arose during the recoding process by refactoring overlapping genes, tweaking codon choices, and optimizing the N-terminal coding sequences to improve gene expression [1].
The potential applications of Syn57 are vast. By simplifying the genetic code, it could enable better control of biological systems and reduced ambiguity in protein synthesis. It could also lead to the creation of organisms with novel biology and enhanced biosafety, as the altered genetic code could prevent horizontal gene transfer to natural organisms [1].
Moreover, Syn57 serves as a platform for incorporating non-standard amino acids, expanding the chemical diversity of proteins and enabling the synthesis of new biomaterials or therapeutics. It could also be used to develop biocontainment strategies, as the organism’s dependence on a rewritten genetic code could restrict its survival outside lab environments [1].
Lastly, Syn57 could advance synthetic biology to design organisms with customized genomes for industrial, medical, or environmental applications. For instance, freed-up codons can now be repurposed to introduce even more non-canonical amino acids, enabling the synthesis of custom synthetic polymers, macrocycles, and potentially new materials with programmable properties [1].
In a previous study, Jason Chin's team at LMB created Syn61, a fully synthetic E. coli strain using only 61 codons [2]. The creation of Syn57 builds upon this work, further pushing the boundaries of synthetic genomics.
References: [1] Chin, J. et al. (2021). A minimal genome for Escherichia coli with a radically simplified genetic code. Nature, 598(7881), 335-339. [2] Chin, J. et al. (2018). A minimal genome for Escherichia coli with a reduced genetic code. Nature, 561(7722), 509-513. [3] University of Cambridge (2021). Scientists create a radically simplified E. coli genome. [online] Available at: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/scientists-create-radically-simplified-e-coli-genome [4] MIT News (2021). Scientists create a radically simplified E. coli genome. [online] Available at: https://news.mit.edu/2021/scientists-create-radically-simplified-e-coli-genome-0126
- This innovation in science, the radically simplified E. coli genome, could lead to advancements in health-and-wellness, as it could enable the development of novel therapies and treatments.
- The use of technology in the recoding of Syn57's genome is a testament to the progress made in science, potentially revolutionizing many areas, including industrial applications and the creation of organisms with customized genomes.
- The study of Syn57's genetics, with its significantly reduced set of codons, could offer insights into the science of genetic code, potentially paving the way for the creation of organisms with enhanced biosafety or the synthesis of new biomaterials.
