Exploring the Wonders of Jellyfish and Synthetic Biology
Written on
Chapter 1: Illuminating Insights from Jellyfish
The crystal jelly, known scientifically as Aequorea victoria, floats gracefully in the waters off California's coast. Years ago, Osamu Shimomura discovered these jellies emit a soft green glow. After conducting experiments, he identified the responsible protein, GFP, which has since become essential in countless laboratories for illuminating microscopic cells. Shimomura's groundbreaking work earned him the Nobel Prize in 2008, shared with Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien, who passed away in 2016.
Recent research has unveiled nine new fluorescent proteins from Aequorea victoria and its relatives, showcasing unique traits. Among these discoveries is the brightest GFP homolog known and another protein that reacts to both ultraviolet and blue light. The study also identified several chromoproteins with purple and blue hues. These findings further suggest that the ocean's depths conceal numerous secrets waiting to be uncovered. This research was detailed in the open-access journal PLoS Biology on November 2.
Video Description: Mysterious Jellyfish Found in Remote Pacific Depths | Nautilus Live - Explore the depths of the ocean as we uncover the secrets of jellyfish.
Section 1.1: The Future of Barcodes
Traditional barcodes, often seen in grocery stores, utilize 11 digits which yield about 100 billion combinations. However, a new study published in Nature Communications presents a DNA-based tagging system that vastly outnumbers these combinations. Researchers dehydrated DNA to enhance its stability and employed an Oxford Nanopore MinION, a compact DNA sequencer, to read the sequences in mere seconds. By cleverly bypassing complex computational analyses, they could directly extract barcodes from raw sequence data. This innovative approach was published on November 3 and is accessible to the public.
Section 1.2: Synthetic Dye Production from Bacteria
Historically, creating Tyrian purple dye was labor-intensive, requiring the crushing of up to 250,000 sea snails (Bolinus brandaris) for a mere ounce of dye, a color reserved for nobility and worth more than gold. Thankfully, advancements in synthetic biology have eliminated the need for such drastic measures. Scientists at Seoul National University have engineered E. coli bacteria to synthesize 6,6'-dibromoindigo, the primary component of Tyrian purple. By incorporating several genes, including tryptophan 6-halogenase and flavin-containing monooxygenase, they achieved a production rate of 315 mg per liter using tryptophan as a precursor. This breakthrough was published in Nature Chemical Biology on November 2.
Chapter 2: The Versatility of Cas9 Proteins
In the realm of gene editing, Cas9 is a superstar. A recent study evaluated 79 different Cas9 orthologs, proteins from various species that share the same function, to understand their DNA recognition and cutting mechanisms. Notably, some Cas9 proteins demonstrated temperature-dependent activity, like Cme2 Cas9, which functions optimally between 30 °C and 55 °C. This research, published in Nature Communications on November 2, contributes to our understanding of these powerful proteins.
Video Description: Vicious Beauties - The Secret World of the Jellyfish | Free Documentary Nature - A captivating look into the hidden life of jellyfish and their ecological importance.
CRISPR's Role in Fertility Control
A typical pregnancy initiates when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining, activating genes like leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). A groundbreaking study from Keio University in Tokyo reveals a method to inhibit fertility using CRISPR by deactivating LIF. This innovative approach is particularly intriguing as the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be activated with LED light, offering potential applications in basic science research to explore the molecular signals that govern this process. The study was published in PNAS on November 2.
Rapid-Fire Highlights
Recent research highlights include the development of a cell-free platform for rapid antibody production against SARS-CoV-2, insights into designer proteins, and advancements in multiplex genome editing techniques for wheat. Additionally, a new data management system aims to streamline laboratory data collection and organization, addressing challenges faced by scientists in experimental settings.
Thanks for tuning into this week’s edition of This Week in Synthetic Biology! If you found this newsletter informative, consider sharing it with friends.