Like viruses accelerated evolution
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Around the world for many years, used the so-called «method of directed evolution». It lies in the fact that scientists, by acting on living organisms, cause the appearance they need at the moment properties. The development of new species of bacteria that produce insulin (which is normal bacteria don't) can be a great example. However, as recently discovered by scientists from the University of North Carolina, a similar effect can be achieved by acting on living cells viruses. Moreover, it is possible that this was the impetus for the change of species on our planet.
a New way to control evolution
According to the editors of the journal Cell, the new technique is called VEGAS (Viral Evolution of Genetically Actuating Sequences), and it will allow the cells faster . In developing the new method the scientists used the «pure» cell culture, placed in conditions in which environmental factors hardly provide her any exposure. And therefore to adapt to them is not needed. Therefore, the need to evolve from such cells is practically eliminated.
After that, this cell line has introduced a special type of RNA virus called Sindbis Аlphavirus. Is the virus that causes one of the variants of fever, fever Sibidi. Only that this virus had one small modification: the body of viruses are not carried in their genes.
This is interesting:
what is the new way of evolution of cells
The fact that under normal functioning of cells, the virus, once inside, causes a disturbance in the functioning (in this case, damages RNA), leading to disruption of life cycle of cells and ultimately leads to her death. However, fever is characterized by high variability and, roughly speaking, no life-threatening genes may transfer this property to a living cell.
In the experiment, scientists from the University of North Carolina was placed in a cell a modified Sindbis virus Аlphavirus. One week after the start of the experiment, the cell was examined and found that due to the impact of the virus in the cells appeared 22 , which is approximately 16 times faster than in the colonies of the cells on which the virus is not affected.
Why?
First, such research can tell us about how was the evolution of the species, it is quite possible that somewhere in the distant past it is the virus could be one of those «accelerating» factors that led to species diversity. Moreover, VEGAS technology can also be used to create adaptive products. This particular drugs that independently develop inside the human body and «adjust» specifically for . This means that health and prodoljitelnost people's lives, may increase significantly.
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