4 ms·
> From my laymans POV It's just so much more complicated than that. There is an additional huge array of variables like introns[1] and exons[2]. There's also
by akira2501 8y ago
> From my laymans POV
It's just so much more complicated than that.
There is an additional huge array of variables like introns[1] and exons[2].
There's also the fact that not all base pairs encode even for genes, there's things like tRNA[3] and ribosomes[4] and the super amazing ribozymes[5].
Even after all that you have specific DNA binding factors[6] that along with the insane machinery[7] of our DNA regulate which base pairs are even exposed or copied into proteins or other cellular products.
Our genetic code is far more complex than just being "genetic codes." And we're still uncovering more layers of complexity and self-reference[8] the closer we are capable of looking.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intron
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exon
[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_RNA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_RNA
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribosome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribosome
[5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribozyme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribozyme
[6]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA-binding_protein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA-binding_protein
[7]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_of_gene_expression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_of_gene_expression
[8]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_world
- anigbrowl 8y agoC may let you shoot yourself in the foot, C++ may let you blow your whole leg off, but only CRISPR will let you turn it back into a tentacle.
- joe_the_user 8y agoI don't think this really takes away from gp's argument, which is that editing genes is complicated and could wind-up with unforeseen consequences. "Genetic engineering" is more like "cut-and-past-programming" on a stream of data that is not-really-code. Fully understanding the implications of even "simple" changes may wind-up impossible.
- Real_S 8y agoThe "cut-and-paste" analogy is perfect here. Imagine you discover super-complex code for which you have only a rudimentary understanding. Now imagine replacing sections of code from one program with sections from another program and calling it an improvement before even testing the code! Older versions of genetic engineering are like pasting code into a random section of a program. CRISPER-CAS9 is more like replacing one section of code with another. Better? Sure. But we still dont really understand the system.
- misrab 8y agoExactly. It seems like we may want to develop more accurate models of how changing DNA and its environment affects its expression through (t)RNA, proteins, and reflexively itself, before making massive "production" changes in one go. In other words, perhaps we should be more methodical and patient in our approach? Curious what the experts have to say about this.
- datafatmunger 8y agoAll true, but it's progress compared to some current GMOs (I'm not anti-GMO). Quite literally developed by exposing fields of fruit to massive amounts of radiation until you ended up with a generation that was better than the last.
- pawelmurias 8y agoIt's funny that you can sell the irradiated fruit offspring as organic.
- labster 8y agoSounds like it's time to refactor that system into something less crazy. Or better yet, rewrite it in Rust.
- IncRnd 8y agoThat actually makes cronix' point.
- ummonk 8y agoIn keeping with the analogy, what you're saying is that the build system and deployment system are extremely complex and have a lot of parameters.