The Future of Molecular The Future of Molecular BiologyBiology

Ryan Emptage & Cole DavisRyan Emptage & Cole Davis

Special Thanks to Dr. SepetaSpecial Thanks to Dr. Sepeta

IntroductionIntroduction

Catalyst: DNA Catalyst: DNA discovery by discovery by Watson and CrickWatson and Crick

Secrets of DNA still Secrets of DNA still being discoveredbeing discovered

DNA synthesis is DNA synthesis is starting to take offstarting to take off

ProtoLifeProtoLife CEO Norman CEO Norman

PackardPackard Creating brand new Creating brand new

living organism from living organism from lab chemicals: the lab chemicals: the “Los Alamos Bug”“Los Alamos Bug”

Life = mechanism of Life = mechanism of Darwinian EvolutionDarwinian Evolution

Simple approach: Simple approach: cover containment, cover containment, heredity, metabolismheredity, metabolism

ContainmentContainment

Oily glob of Oily glob of fatty acidfatty acid

Hydrophilic Hydrophilic heads and heads and hydrophobic hydrophobic tailstails

Will not require Will not require waterwater

HeredityHeredity Double-stranded PNADouble-stranded PNA Same nucleotides as DNASame nucleotides as DNA Uncharged backboneUncharged backbone Temp makes PNA strand Temp makes PNA strand

separateseparate Charged exposed Charged exposed

nucleotides migrate to nucleotides migrate to surface & replicated using surface & replicated using primersprimers

Sink back into fatty acid Sink back into fatty acid glob when completedglob when completed

MetabolismMetabolism

““food” will be “masked” fatty food” will be “masked” fatty acidsacids

Masks are light-sensitiveMasks are light-sensitive When masks are hit by a When masks are hit by a

photon, they remove photon, they remove themselvesthemselves

Fatty acid now charge and joins Fatty acid now charge and joins others in membraneothers in membrane

When membrane too large, When membrane too large, surface tension causes divisionsurface tension causes division

What the “Bug” could doWhat the “Bug” could do

Breakdown of toxic chemicalsBreakdown of toxic chemicals Produce alternate fuel sources: Produce alternate fuel sources:

hydrogenhydrogen ““Diagnostic” drugDiagnostic” drug Could evolve to fit into its Could evolve to fit into its

surroundingssurroundings Huge Drawback: Mechanism for Huge Drawback: Mechanism for

evolution shakyevolution shaky

The Old Dogma in GeneticsThe Old Dogma in Genetics

One gene one One gene one proteinprotein

Rest of DNA is Rest of DNA is junkjunk

Not true in Not true in prokaryotesprokaryotes

Intronic RNA is just as vital as the Intronic RNA is just as vital as the Proteins created from the entronic Proteins created from the entronic RNARNA

It is thought that the intronic RNA It is thought that the intronic RNA plays a pivotal role in the plays a pivotal role in the development of the fetusdevelopment of the fetus

Types of Intronic RNATypes of Intronic RNA

RNA interferenceRNA interferencesiRNAsiRNAmiRNAmiRNAtncRNAtncRNA

Discovery of RNA interferenceDiscovery of RNA interference

Jorgensen and MolJorgensen and Mol Purple petuniasPurple petunias Injecting purple Injecting purple

pigment genes into pigment genes into the flowers to make the flowers to make them more purplethem more purple

Opposite happenedOpposite happened

BiocomplexityBiocomplexity

Protein encoding genes are not relative to Protein encoding genes are not relative to complexitycomplexity

Rice plants have more genes then Rice plants have more genes then humanshumans

Non-proton encoding genes are relative to Non-proton encoding genes are relative to complexitycomplexity

Precursor to lifePrecursor to life

Ronald Breaker theorized that the Ronald Breaker theorized that the active RNA existed before DNA active RNA existed before DNA and proteins.and proteins.

Increasing the debate about Increasing the debate about evolutionevolution

PseudogenesPseudogenes

Shinji HirotsuneShinji Hirotsune Mice genetically Mice genetically

engineered to carry a engineered to carry a fruit fly genefruit fly gene

When injected into a When injected into a pseudogene that the pseudogene that the mice shared with fruit mice shared with fruit flies the mice diedflies the mice died

Pseudogenes were Pseudogenes were thought to do nothingthought to do nothing

Anti-sense RNAAnti-sense RNA

Some RNA strands have complementary Some RNA strands have complementary anti-sense RNA strands that mesh anti-sense RNA strands that mesh together to interfere with the production of together to interfere with the production of the protein.the protein.

Introns and ExonsIntrons and Exons

DNA splicingDNA splicing Before translation, Before translation,

some sequences of some sequences of nucleotides removednucleotides removed

Classic genetics: all Classic genetics: all introns removed and introns removed and trashedtrashed

““Wasted” genetic Wasted” genetic spacespace

Splice Up Your LifeSplice Up Your Life

New studies have found: there are New studies have found: there are many different ways of splicing DNAmany different ways of splicing DNA

Keep intronsKeep intronsSplice selected intronsSplice selected intronsPlace exons on both the normal Place exons on both the normal

strand and “waste” strandstrand and “waste” strandOld: 1 protein per geneOld: 1 protein per geneNew: 3-4 proteins per geneNew: 3-4 proteins per gene

Where should we stop?Where should we stop?

Eckard Wimmer: Eckard Wimmer: synthesized poliovirus from synthesized poliovirus from mail-order DNAmail-order DNA

Craig Venter: Made bacterial Craig Venter: Made bacterial virus in 3 weeksvirus in 3 weeks

Bioterrorism?Bioterrorism? Why risk it?Why risk it? Benefits very substantialBenefits very substantial Treat diseases, repair cells, Treat diseases, repair cells,

fuel sourcesfuel sources

Reduce the RiskReduce the Risk

Research licenseResearch licenseCrosschecks on suspicious DNA orders: Crosschecks on suspicious DNA orders:

Blue HeronBlue Heron ““honor code” reporting to governmenthonor code” reporting to government ““self-destruct gene” in all experimental self-destruct gene” in all experimental

organismsorganisms ““Biology is poised to lose its innocence”Biology is poised to lose its innocence”

George PosteGeorge Poste