Scienziati del Scripps Research Institute dell’università californiana la Jolla sono riusciti a creare un vero e proprio DNA sintetico partendo da quello naturale.
L’alfabeto genetico è composto da quattro lettere, A (adenina), T (timina), C (citosina) e G (guanina), con le quali sono “scritti” i genomi di tutti gli esseri viventi. Gli studiosi ne hanno inserite altre due, chiamate X e Y, nel codice genetico di un batterio, creando quella che è, a tutti gli effetti, la prima forma di vita aliena mai apparsa sulla Terra.
I ricercatori sostengono che si tratta di una scoperta storica, che potrebbe permettere di progettare nuove forme di vita mai viste prima, oltre che a creare nuovi farmaci, vaccini e materiali.
RedMM/TG/gg/mrj
TG12.30 del 15/5/2014 Servizio di Gianmaria Giulini
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