Biological information flows can now be shaped by building ‘valves’ in DNA (code of life) as per a study at the University of Bristol, published in the journal Nature Communications.
The team focused on how the information encoded in DNA is read, and specifically, how these flows (of cellular processes) could be regulated by creating “valves” to tune the flow from one region of DNA to another.
‘New biological parts that may be capable of shaping the flow of cellular processes along DNA (code of life) have been finally developed by scientists.’
“Similar to a valve that controls the rate that a liquid flows through a pipe, these valves shape the flow of molecular processes along DNA. These flows allow cells to make sense of the information stored in their genomes and the ability to control them enables us to reprogram their behaviours in useful ways,” says Dr. Thomas Gorochowski, senior author and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Bristol.
“Now that they have crafted these tools, a big question is how they can be used responsibly and equitably in the real world. Post-growth entrepreneurship offers useful approaches for imagining more deliberative and inclusive ways to put such technology at the service of people,” says Dr. Mario Pansera, a distinguished researcher of the Post-Growth Innovation Lab at the University of Vigo, Spain.
Source: Medindia
