Programming language for DNA

Biologists have learned how to program GMO bacteria

Tape.<url> based on MIT materials: A programming language for living cells

Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a DNA programming language that will allow a person without advanced knowledge of biology to create bacteria with the desired properties. An article with the results of the work (Nielsen et al., Genetic circuit design automation) has been published in the leading scientific journal Science.

The aim of the scientists was to create a convenient tool for building a biological analog of logic circuits inside a living cell. Each such circuit, which consists of DNA components, can be placed in bacteria to endow them with the ability to respond correctly to certain environmental conditions.

First, the user, as in other programming languages, must write a text code, which is then compiled, that is, translated into the language of nucleic acids. The text describes the logical components that are necessary to perform the required function, and the compiler selects the appropriate DNA molecules. According to scientists, this approach will allow designing bacterial cells capable of producing cancer drugs, as well as yeast that stops the fermentation process if too many toxic products have accumulated.

Over the past decades, biologists and engineers have developed many genetic devices: sensors, memory carriers, biological clocks, and many others. All of them can be combined into various schemes that allow you to improve functions within cells or even add new ones. The DNA programming language developed by scientists allows a person to create such schemes even without special education.

The language is based on Verilog, an environment for programming computer chips. To get its version for cells, engineers have created computational elements and biological sensors that can be encoded in the form of DNA. Sensors can be sensitive to various substances like oxygen or glucose, as well as to light, temperature or acidity of the medium.

Scientists managed to create 60 circuits with various functions, while 45 of them worked correctly already during the first tests. One of the schemes is the largest of the artificial biological chains, which includes 12 thousand base pairs of DNA.

The researchers plan to improve the language to obtain bacteria that could help humans digest lactose, live in plant roots and produce insecticides if the plants are attacked by pests, and many other beneficial organisms.

Last year, the American Food and Drug Administration approved for the first time the consumption of genetically modified salmon (soon after that – chickens, and much earlier – goats, but not for the food industry, but for the production of pharmaceuticals – VM). The possibility of approving the sale of mosquitoes that are not capable of carrying dangerous tropical diseases is also being considered.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  01.04.2016