4 ms·

I worked in biotech developing genes. Similar to how yeast naturally produces alcohol or vinegar, yeast can produce other chemicals. Yeast is the most common ty

I worked in biotech developing genes. Similar to how yeast naturally produces alcohol or vinegar, yeast can produce other chemicals. Yeast is the most common type of organism being modified via CRISPR for industrial production. Since this is a novel yeast, why does the article not mention the possibility it could have been the result of off target edits or a yeast developed for industrial purposes?

blurbleblurble 4y ago
What are the regulations in this area? Seems like a wild west kinda situation right now in biotech. Well and even with regulations, I can't see enforcement being easy or even possible.
- aaomidi 4y ago
  Enforcement basically doesn’t exist across this industry.
shmooper 4y ago
The article discusses Candida which is a specific genus of yeast includes species that live with us humans, and can sometimes cause disease, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. Most of the yeast being engineered with CRISPER is non-pathogenic [1] and is less likely to mutate to this sort of thing. The mutation the article discusses is more like how bacterias evolve with anti-bacterial drug use. Much like bacterias, pathogenic fungi experience evolutionary pressure from their environment and the drugs we use to control them. [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280424/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280424/
credit_guy 4y ago
Candida auris was discovered in 2009. CRISPR in 2012. Candida auris itself could not have been the result of any CRISPR editing experiment. Maybe you are suggesting that a particular strain of Candida auris is such a result. This is difficult to refute without an actual genomic analysis. But a much simpler explanation exists: Candida auris is nasty in itself. It does not need genetic engineering to be nasty. It is simply spreading in hospitals among immunocompromised patients because this is what Candida auris does. Per wikipedia [1]: > Often, candidiasis is acquired in hospitals by patients with weakened immune systems. C. auris can cause invasive candidiasis (fungemia) in which the bloodstream, the central nervous system, and internal organs are infected. It has attracted widespread attention because of its multiple drug resistance. Treatment is also complicated because it is easily misidentified as other Candida species. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_auris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_auris
- kornhole 4y ago
  Less efficient methods were used for gene editing before CRISPR. The candida strain of yeast is likely not used as base for editing or industrial purposes. Given what we have learned about covid's origins, an analysis of the gene in this yeast is probably needed to confirm its origin and quell any suspicions.
  - taco_philips 4y ago
    [dead]

blurbleblurble 4y ago

What are the regulations in this area? Seems like a wild west kinda situation right now in biotech. Well and even with regulations, I can't see enforcement being easy or even possible.

aaomidi 4y ago
Enforcement basically doesn’t exist across this industry.

shmooper 4y ago

The article discusses Candida which is a specific genus of yeast includes species that live with us humans, and can sometimes cause disease, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. Most of the yeast being engineered with CRISPER is non-pathogenic [1] and is less likely to mutate to this sort of thing. The mutation the article discusses is more like how bacterias evolve with anti-bacterial drug use. Much like bacterias, pathogenic fungi experience evolutionary pressure from their environment and the drugs we use to control them. [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280424/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31280424/

credit_guy 4y ago

Candida auris was discovered in 2009. CRISPR in 2012. Candida auris itself could not have been the result of any CRISPR editing experiment. Maybe you are suggesting that a particular strain of Candida auris is such a result. This is difficult to refute without an actual genomic analysis. But a much simpler explanation exists: Candida auris is nasty in itself. It does not need genetic engineering to be nasty. It is simply spreading in hospitals among immunocompromised patients because this is what Candida auris does. Per wikipedia [1]: > Often, candidiasis is acquired in hospitals by patients with weakened immune systems. C. auris can cause invasive candidiasis (fungemia) in which the bloodstream, the central nervous system, and internal organs are infected. It has attracted widespread attention because of its multiple drug resistance. Treatment is also complicated because it is easily misidentified as other Candida species. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_auris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_auris

kornhole 4y ago
Less efficient methods were used for gene editing before CRISPR. The candida strain of yeast is likely not used as base for editing or industrial purposes. Given what we have learned about covid's origins, an analysis of the gene in this yeast is probably needed to confirm its origin and quell any suspicions.
- taco_philips 4y ago
  [dead]