Science: Scientists invent DNA "recorders" to store cell memory
Release date: 2014-11-18 If the cells can talk, they should have a lot of stories to tell us. What molecules have they encountered, what signals they have passed to their neighbors, how they have grown and changed. Although researchers have not been able to make cells speak, they have invented a DNA "recorder" that stores data through DNA sequences. The DNA “recorder†records the life history of cells for a few weeks and describes the various memories of the cells. Related research was published in the November 13 issue of Science. Scientists envision that this stable, erasable and easy to retrieve memory will be especially suitable for applications such as environmental and medical monitoring sensors. In the past, researchers turned cells into simple sensors by turning on or off the production of proteins that respond to stimuli. But each switch can only record a simple message, whether the cell has been exposed to the corresponding stimulus, but does not reveal the time and extent of exposure. Timothy Lu, a synthetic biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who led the research, said: "We hope that bacteria can have a memory system that collects more information. So the question is, what is this memory system like?" Lu's team set up a biological program to rewrite the DNA of living cells. Once the DNA is rewritten, even when the cell dies, the information will still be in the genetic material. By measuring the number of genes in cells containing this rewritten DNA, the researchers can determine the duration and intensity of the signal. The more cells that contain the mutated gene, the stronger and longer the signal. This method is called Synthetic Cellular Recorders Integrating Biological Events (SCRIBE), which relies on retrons, which form the bacterial genetic system to produce single-stranded DNA; bacteria usually change with single-stranded DNA. Their host. Lu's team inserts a retro-transcript into the cells of the bacteria, and only when the bacteria respond to specific stimuli (such as chemicals, light), the counter-transcript opens and produces specific DNA. Lu tested SCRIBE in his engineered cells that responded to light signals and other common biological agents. One of the successful examples is that SCRIBE's successful response to light signals in cells with mutations in antibiotic resistance genes is particularly easy to read. When cells grow in the presence of antibiotics, researchers can immediately see which cells contain new mutant genes. The results can also be verified by bacterial genome sequencing. Lu said: "The SCRIBE system has many potential applications, such as long-term recording of the living environment of a cell. Live cells can be left in the water for a week, then collected, and then determine the DNA of the cell, and then determine the environment in which the cell is located. Whether it contains certain bacteria or toxins. SCRIBE can also be used to drive basic research. When you change from single cells to multicellular tissues, each cell encounters a different signal. SCRIBE allows researchers to know how each cell is. To shape your own destiny." Ahmad Khalil, a biomedical engineer at Boston University, said: "They did a very special job of turning DNA into a readable form and writing the memory of living cells. I think this is a very cool new direction for synthetic biology." Source: Medical Machinery Innovation Network
China Antibacterial Blend Suppliers
Here you can find the related products in Antibacterial Blend, we are professional manufacturer of Antibacterial blend. We focused on international export product development, production and sales. We have improved quality control processes of Antibacterial Blend to ensure each export qualified product.
If you want to know more about the products in Antibacterial Blend, please click the Product details to view parameters, models, pictures, prices and Other information about Antibacterial Blend.
Whatever you are a group or individual, we will do our best to provide you with accurate and comprehensive message about Antibacterial Blend!
Salicylic Acid,BHA,O-hydroxybenzoic acid,Allantoin Xi'an Gawen Biotechnology Co., Ltd , https://www.ahualynbios.com