Scientists create a new form of life unlike anything in nature

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Scientists create a new form of life unlike anything in nature

Daily Mail
By STACY LIBERATORE
26 August 2025



Scientists have engineered a strain of bacteria with a genetic code unlike anything found in nature, marking a groundbreaking advance in synthetic biology.

The microbe, called Syn57, is a lab-made version of Escherichia coli, a bacterium that normally causes infections in the gut, urinary tract and other parts of the body.

Unlike all known life, which relies on 64 codons, or three-letter DNA sequences that tell cells how to build proteins, Syn57 uses just 57 codons.

Think of DNA as a cookbook where each codon is a three-letter word telling the cell which amino acids, or ingredients, to use.

Life normally has some duplicate instructions, but Syn57 strips out the extras while still functioning perfectly.

These freed-up codons open the door to entirely new possibilities, allowing scientists to create proteins and synthetic compounds that nature has never produced.

Syn57's unusual genetic code also makes it resistant to viruses, which rely on the standard DNA language to hijack cells. And because its code is so different, it is less likely to mix with natural organisms, easing safety concerns.

This breakthrough could also pave the way for new medicines, advanced materials and synthetic lifeforms beyond anything seen in nature.

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15035691/Scientists-create-new-form-life-unlike-nature.html

Why not? What can go wrong?

[DefiantMassRINO]

Those 64 codons are the result of millions of years of evolution.  Sure, using only 57 codons seems more efficient, but the 'inefficiency' of the 'duplicative' codons are there for a reason.

Maybe surviving millions of years on Earth requires some 'redundancy'; like two lungs, two kidneys, etc.  Sure, if humans only had 1 eye, 1 ear, 1 lung, 1 kidney, 1 reproductive organ, imagine how much more 'useful' stuff we could cram in our bodies.

Redundancy seems like a waste, until you need it.

Good luck playing God, and, please don't kill us all.

[Smokin Joe]

And the $64,000.00 question is..."Why?"

Like jumping off a cliff, just because you *can*, does not mean it's a good idea to do it.