The Future of Molecular The Future of Molecular BiologyBiology
Ryan Emptage & Cole DavisRyan Emptage & Cole Davis
Special Thanks to Dr. SepetaSpecial Thanks to Dr. Sepeta
IntroductionIntroduction
Catalyst: DNA Catalyst: DNA discovery by discovery by Watson and CrickWatson and Crick
Secrets of DNA still Secrets of DNA still being discoveredbeing discovered
DNA synthesis is DNA synthesis is starting to take offstarting to take off
ProtoLifeProtoLife CEO Norman CEO Norman
PackardPackard Creating brand new Creating brand new
living organism from living organism from lab chemicals: the lab chemicals: the “Los Alamos Bug”“Los Alamos Bug”
Life = mechanism of Life = mechanism of Darwinian EvolutionDarwinian Evolution
Simple approach: Simple approach: cover containment, cover containment, heredity, metabolismheredity, metabolism
ContainmentContainment
Oily glob of Oily glob of fatty acidfatty acid
Hydrophilic Hydrophilic heads and heads and hydrophobic hydrophobic tailstails
Will not require Will not require waterwater
HeredityHeredity Double-stranded PNADouble-stranded PNA Same nucleotides as DNASame nucleotides as DNA Uncharged backboneUncharged backbone Temp makes PNA strand Temp makes PNA strand
separateseparate Charged exposed Charged exposed
nucleotides migrate to nucleotides migrate to surface & replicated using surface & replicated using primersprimers
Sink back into fatty acid Sink back into fatty acid glob when completedglob when completed
MetabolismMetabolism
““food” will be “masked” fatty food” will be “masked” fatty acidsacids
Masks are light-sensitiveMasks are light-sensitive When masks are hit by a When masks are hit by a
photon, they remove photon, they remove themselvesthemselves
Fatty acid now charge and joins Fatty acid now charge and joins others in membraneothers in membrane
When membrane too large, When membrane too large, surface tension causes divisionsurface tension causes division
What the “Bug” could doWhat the “Bug” could do
Breakdown of toxic chemicalsBreakdown of toxic chemicals Produce alternate fuel sources: Produce alternate fuel sources:
hydrogenhydrogen ““Diagnostic” drugDiagnostic” drug Could evolve to fit into its Could evolve to fit into its
surroundingssurroundings Huge Drawback: Mechanism for Huge Drawback: Mechanism for
evolution shakyevolution shaky
The Old Dogma in GeneticsThe Old Dogma in Genetics
One gene one One gene one proteinprotein
Rest of DNA is Rest of DNA is junkjunk
Not true in Not true in prokaryotesprokaryotes
Intronic RNA is just as vital as the Intronic RNA is just as vital as the Proteins created from the entronic Proteins created from the entronic RNARNA
It is thought that the intronic RNA It is thought that the intronic RNA plays a pivotal role in the plays a pivotal role in the development of the fetusdevelopment of the fetus
Types of Intronic RNATypes of Intronic RNA
RNA interferenceRNA interferencesiRNAsiRNAmiRNAmiRNAtncRNAtncRNA
Discovery of RNA interferenceDiscovery of RNA interference
Jorgensen and MolJorgensen and Mol Purple petuniasPurple petunias Injecting purple Injecting purple
pigment genes into pigment genes into the flowers to make the flowers to make them more purplethem more purple
Opposite happenedOpposite happened
BiocomplexityBiocomplexity
Protein encoding genes are not relative to Protein encoding genes are not relative to complexitycomplexity
Rice plants have more genes then Rice plants have more genes then humanshumans
Non-proton encoding genes are relative to Non-proton encoding genes are relative to complexitycomplexity
Precursor to lifePrecursor to life
Ronald Breaker theorized that the Ronald Breaker theorized that the active RNA existed before DNA active RNA existed before DNA and proteins.and proteins.
Increasing the debate about Increasing the debate about evolutionevolution
PseudogenesPseudogenes
Shinji HirotsuneShinji Hirotsune Mice genetically Mice genetically
engineered to carry a engineered to carry a fruit fly genefruit fly gene
When injected into a When injected into a pseudogene that the pseudogene that the mice shared with fruit mice shared with fruit flies the mice diedflies the mice died
Pseudogenes were Pseudogenes were thought to do nothingthought to do nothing
Anti-sense RNAAnti-sense RNA
Some RNA strands have complementary Some RNA strands have complementary anti-sense RNA strands that mesh anti-sense RNA strands that mesh together to interfere with the production of together to interfere with the production of the protein.the protein.
Introns and ExonsIntrons and Exons
DNA splicingDNA splicing Before translation, Before translation,
some sequences of some sequences of nucleotides removednucleotides removed
Classic genetics: all Classic genetics: all introns removed and introns removed and trashedtrashed
““Wasted” genetic Wasted” genetic spacespace
Splice Up Your LifeSplice Up Your Life
New studies have found: there are New studies have found: there are many different ways of splicing DNAmany different ways of splicing DNA
Keep intronsKeep intronsSplice selected intronsSplice selected intronsPlace exons on both the normal Place exons on both the normal
strand and “waste” strandstrand and “waste” strandOld: 1 protein per geneOld: 1 protein per geneNew: 3-4 proteins per geneNew: 3-4 proteins per gene
Where should we stop?Where should we stop?
Eckard Wimmer: Eckard Wimmer: synthesized poliovirus from synthesized poliovirus from mail-order DNAmail-order DNA
Craig Venter: Made bacterial Craig Venter: Made bacterial virus in 3 weeksvirus in 3 weeks
Bioterrorism?Bioterrorism? Why risk it?Why risk it? Benefits very substantialBenefits very substantial Treat diseases, repair cells, Treat diseases, repair cells,
fuel sourcesfuel sources
Reduce the RiskReduce the Risk
Research licenseResearch licenseCrosschecks on suspicious DNA orders: Crosschecks on suspicious DNA orders:
Blue HeronBlue Heron ““honor code” reporting to governmenthonor code” reporting to government ““self-destruct gene” in all experimental self-destruct gene” in all experimental
organismsorganisms ““Biology is poised to lose its innocence”Biology is poised to lose its innocence”
George PosteGeorge Poste
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