Genetically Engineered E. coli Bacteria Operates Efficiently with a Compressed Genetic Blueprint
In a groundbreaking development, scientists at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK, have created Syn57, a synthetic organism with a streamlined genetic code that significantly expands the potential for creating virus-resistant life and producing new enzymes [1][2][4].
The team, led by synthetic biologist Wes Robertson, aimed to use cells to manufacture substances that chemists once produced in a flask, but in a more programmable and eco-friendly manner [3]. By compressing the E. coli genome, they were able to free up seven codons, which could be repurposed to carry out new chemistry [2].
The recoding scheme worked for approximately 75% of the fragments, and new linkage mapping techniques were employed to identify issues in the remaining 25% [4]. Homologous recombination in yeast was used to ensure the recoding scheme would function effectively.
Syn57, which uses only 57 codons instead of the natural 64, represents a significant achievement in synthetic biology. It demonstrates that life can function with a radically rewritten genetic code, paving the way for further engineering of organisms with novel genetic alphabets, enhanced biosafety, and custom biological functions [2][5].
This reduced codon set eliminates redundancy, creating "codon space" that can be repurposed to encode non-canonical amino acids or synthetic building blocks, expanding the chemical diversity of proteins beyond nature’s standard 20 amino acids [1][2][4].
Key impacts of Syn57 include increased genetic code flexibility, enhanced virus resistance, the production of new enzymes and molecules, and proof of concept for genetic code redesign [1][2][4].
With a recoded genome, Syn57 is fundamentally different at the genetic level, making it difficult or impossible for viruses adapted to the natural 64-codon code to infect and hijack the bacterium’s machinery. This inherent resistance is a powerful defense mechanism that could limit viral infections [1][4].
The "vacant" codons freed by Syn57 provide space to introduce non-standard amino acids with specialized chemical properties. This capability allows bioengineers to design proteins with novel catalytic activities or chemical functionalities not seen in nature, enabling the synthesis of new enzymes and therapeutic molecules [1][4].
Further modifications could provide Syn57 with a "genetic firewall" that would prevent it from interacting with genetic material from wild-type E. coli, making it potentially virus-resistant. This could open up new applications, such as generating organisms that are resistant to viruses or produce new enzymes [4].
The genome was split into 38 fragments of around 100,000 base pairs each and synthesized individually. Different synthetic DNA designs were added to maintain compression but were slightly different from the original design [2]. The researchers who developed Syn57 previously made Syn61, a strain of E. coli with 61 codons, in 2019 [3].
In summary, Syn57’s streamlined genetic code drastically expands the scope for synthetic biology by increasing codon availability for novel amino acids and providing built-in virus resistance, thus paving the way for organisms capable of producing custom enzymes and resisting viral attack [1][2][4][5].
References:
- Science Daily
- Nature
- The Guardian
- Phys.org
- LMB
The reduced genetic code of Syn57, created by scientists at the LMB, offers a significant opportunity in the realm of health and wellness by expanding the potential for synthesizing new enzymes and therapeutic molecules, addressing medical-conditions. Moreover, Syn57's inherent resistance to viruses could potentially advance the science of polymers, leading to the production of virus-resistant lifeforms.
