Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Japanese scientists are engaged in training smart bacteria

One is the role of recombination in the RNA World, and the other is the role of divalent metal ions in ribozyme-directed catalysis. Regarding the former, we are interested in the advantages that recombination (the swapping of large blocks of genetic information) could have played during the advent of life. We are investigating both the benefits that recombination gives for the creation of new genetic diversity and the protection that recombination provides against the accumulation of deleterious mutations in an otherwise adapted population of RNA molecules
In the framework of laying puzzles similar to Sudoku style grids, now, bacteria are able to solve logical problems, suggesting the possibility of their training. Japanese scientists are engaged in training smart bacteriaAccording to the head of the research team, Ryo Taniuchi, the puzzles are simple rules, so it was suggested that the bacteria cope with the conundrum. They were able to set up a special traffic scheme.The Panel conducted an experiment with 16 kinds of bacteria. For each colony was secured certain genetic characteristics, depending on what type of cell in the puzzle box it held. Also, bacteria are aligned with colors, identical numbers in a cage.Scientists have pushed bacteria in the cells differentiate, taking one of four colors. Then the bacteria by using RNA-recombinase (class of enzymes capable of recombination of DNA) sends information about its location and color value undifferentiated bacteria in the remaining cells.The genetic information stored in these "messages" does not allow bacteria...
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[Source: News Weird Magazine]

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