Creating mirror life forms could pose 'extraordinary dangers'

Mirror life, a concept where life forms are built using mirror-image molecules, is no longer confined to the realms of science fiction.

Scientists are now raising alarms about the potential risks posed by these synthetic organisms, warning of threats to environmental and human safety.

Warning about mirror life

In a study published in the journal Science, a collective team of 38 international researchers issued a stark warning about what they called “mirror life.”

This term refers to organisms whose building blocks are mirror images of the molecules that are naturally found in life as we know it.

“Driven by curiosity and plausible applications, some researchers had begun work toward creating lifeforms composed entirely of mirror-image biological molecules,” wrote the scholars.

“Such mirror organisms would constitute a radical departure from known life, and their creation warrants careful consideration.”

It seems like a plot from a sci-fi thriller, but the capability to develop these mirror organisms could potentially be less than a decade away.

Currently, scientists have successfully synthesized mirror-image biological molecules and systems, and these could be employed in creating new medicines.

What is mirror life?

All known life on Earth is homochiral, meaning it uses molecules with specific handedness – DNA and RNA are built from “right-handed” nucleotides, while proteins consist of “left-handed” amino acids.

Mirror life would flip this pattern, creating organisms entirely composed of mirror-image molecules.

Although the concept might seem speculative, rapid advances in synthetic biology suggest that creating mirror life is within reach.

However, these organisms would represent a fundamental departure from natural life, with significant implications for both science and safety.

Hidden hazards of unnatural life forms

This novel line of work does not come without its fair share of concerns. Scientists outline the potential risks posed by mirror bacteria that live in a world of natural organisms.

“Much like an invasive species with few natural predators, we are concerned that mirror bacteria could rapidly proliferate, evolving and diversifying as they spread,” noted the researchers.

“Persistent and potentially global presence of mirror bacteria in the environment could repeatedly expose human, animal, and plant populations to the risk of lethal infection.”

The primary concern is that these unnatural life forms could bypass natural immune defenses in humans, animals, and plants. They would also evade mechanisms of natural digestion and degradation that involve chiral molecules, such as enzymes.

Once mirror bacteria infect a host, they could reproduce unchecked, leading potentially to devastating consequences.

The technological hurdles

Creating mirror life, even at the level of simple bacteria, would be a monumental feat of engineering.

Scientists would need to synthesize complex mirror-image biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, and assemble them into functioning cells.

Progress in related fields, like synthetic cell research, has brought these goals closer to reality. However, significant technical barriers remain, including the high cost and complexity of producing mirror biomolecules.

Despite these hurdles, researchers believe continued advances could make this technology feasible within the next decade.

A pause, not a prohibition

The researchers are advocating for a halt in the creation of these mirror organisms. The team is made up of experts across various fields, including synthetic biology, human, animal and plant physiology, biosecurity, and global health.

The group stated that research into building mirror life should be put on pause, “unless compelling evidence emerges that mirror life would not pose extraordinary dangers.”

The experts believe that funding bodies should clarify that they won’t back such initiatives, and efforts to create mirror life should be slowed down and made more challenging.

“Although we were initially skeptical that mirror bacteria could pose major risks, we have become deeply concerned,” wrote the experts.

“We were uncertain about the consequences of mirror bacterial infection in humans and animals, but a close examination of existing studies led us to conclude that infections could be severe.”

A safer approach to mirror molecules

While creating mirror life poses significant risks, mirror molecules themselves have promising applications.

These molecules could lead to the development of long-lasting drugs, biomaterials, and other medical innovations that are resistant to degradation.

They could also enable breakthroughs in research by providing tools to study biological processes with unmatched stability and precision.

Importantly, such applications can often be achieved without constructing full mirror organisms, thus avoiding many of the risks associated with mirror life.

Focusing on these controlled applications offers a pathway to harness the benefits of mirror molecules while minimizing potential dangers.

The full study was published in the journal Science.

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