Web Desk: US researchers took a major step towards creating artificial life, they have developed a living organism, incorporate both natural and artificial DNA and could create new synthetic proteins.

Scientists assemble for the development of designer proteins, after the work published in the Journal Nature. The work  showed that it was possible to expand the genetic alphabet of natural DNA beyond its current four letters: adenine(A), cytosine(C), guanine(G) and thymine (T).

In 2014, the same scientists, created a strain of E. coli bacteria contained two artificial letters X and Y. Recently, the scientist revealed that partially synthetic E.coli can take instruction from this hybrid genetic alphabet to make new protein.

A researcher, Floyd E.Romesberg says, “This is the first time ever a cell has translated a protein using something other than G,C, A or T”. Moreover, “A lot of proteins that you want to use as drugs get cleared in the kidney very quickly.” The new system could attach fat molecules to drugd to keep them in the body longer.

The natural DNA, the base pairs are attracted through hydrogen bonding. While Romesberg’s X and Y bases are attract through different process, which resists bonding of natural bases because cells cannot make their own X and Y without addition of certain chemicals, the semi –synthetic organisms cannot live outside.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/us-scientists-take-a-new-step-toward-creating-artificial-life/article21191506.ece