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Yes. The cell was first created in the real world as part of research about the minimal set of genes required for life.[1] It is known as "JCVI-syn3.0" or "Myco

Yes. The cell was first created in the real world as part of research about the minimal set of genes required for life.[1] It is known as "JCVI-syn3.0" or "Mycoplasma laboratorium".'[2] Still amazing that it can now be fully simulated "in silico". [1] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aad6253 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aad6253 [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_laboratorium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_laboratorium

Traubenfuchs 5y ago
It says "In this new organism, the number of genes can only be pared down to 473, 149 of which have functions that are completely unknown." But if we now can simulate this cell completely, shouldn't it be easy to figure out what those genes are doing? Just start the simulation with them knocked out.
- WJW 5y ago
  Presumably if the number of genes cannot be pared down below 473, it dies very quickly if one of the 149 genes is knocked out. But "it doesn't work without it" is not a very satisfactory answer to "what does it do".
  - amelius 5y ago
    Yes, this is similar to opening a radio and saying "I don't know what this transistor does; let's take it out and see what the radio does".
    - dekhn 5y ago
      See also "Can a biologist fix a radio" https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/pdf/S1535-6108(02)00133-2.pdf https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/pdf/S1535-6108(02)00133-2.p... "Doug & Bill"(http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/locke.hp/dougandbill.htm http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/locke.hp/dougandbill.htm) "Could a neuroscientist understand a microprocessor"? https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005268 https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/jo... The funny thing is if you read the history of Feynman and others, most of them grew up opening up radios and learning how they worked by removing things. fixing them. It's a very common theme (sort of falls off post-transistor tho). I opened up radios as a kid, tried to figure out what parts did what, and eventually gave up.
      - breck 5y ago
        That is a great read. Thanks :)
- Jeff_Brown 5y ago
  Before attempting to crack the copy-protection on a game, one might think something similar.
- quickthrower2 5y ago
  Valgrind that cell!

Traubenfuchs 5y ago

It says "In this new organism, the number of genes can only be pared down to 473, 149 of which have functions that are completely unknown." But if we now can simulate this cell completely, shouldn't it be easy to figure out what those genes are doing? Just start the simulation with them knocked out.

WJW 5y ago
Presumably if the number of genes cannot be pared down below 473, it dies very quickly if one of the 149 genes is knocked out. But "it doesn't work without it" is not a very satisfactory answer to "what does it do".
- amelius 5y ago
  Yes, this is similar to opening a radio and saying "I don't know what this transistor does; let's take it out and see what the radio does".
  - dekhn 5y ago
    See also "Can a biologist fix a radio" https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/pdf/S1535-6108(02)00133-2.pdf https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/pdf/S1535-6108(02)00133-2.p... "Doug & Bill"(http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/locke.hp/dougandbill.htm http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/locke.hp/dougandbill.htm) "Could a neuroscientist understand a microprocessor"? https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005268 https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/jo... The funny thing is if you read the history of Feynman and others, most of them grew up opening up radios and learning how they worked by removing things. fixing them. It's a very common theme (sort of falls off post-transistor tho). I opened up radios as a kid, tried to figure out what parts did what, and eventually gave up.
    - breck 5y ago
      That is a great read. Thanks :)
Jeff_Brown 5y ago
Before attempting to crack the copy-protection on a game, one might think something similar.
quickthrower2 5y ago
Valgrind that cell!