4 ms·
Someday soon we’ll just be able to sequence its genome and reconstruct it without needing to keep samples alive (and no longer have the risk with all the mainte
by naravara 3y ago
Someday soon we’ll just be able to sequence its genome and reconstruct it without needing to keep samples alive (and no longer have the risk with all the maintenance and security protocols that will entail).
Of course however we store that genomic code had better be on physical media in a sealed vault that isn’t even within spitting distance of anything with an internet connection.
- Gare 3y agohttps://thebulletin.org/2020/02/a-biotech-firm-made-a-smallpox-like-virus-on-purpose-nobody-seems-to-care/ https://thebulletin.org/2020/02/a-biotech-firm-made-a-smallp...
- kbenson 3y agoYeah, as you allude to in your parting sentence, I'm not sure if this idea makes me more or less secure. Chance for accidental infection at the storage facility goes way down, but should the sequence ever leak to the internet chance for accidental infection from some stupid amateur biohacker goes way up in my opinion, and that's before we get to purposeful infection. If it's going to be preserved, I think I'm happier with it not being digital and stored in highly secured areas by professionals, but perhaps the threat model in my head isn't accurate enough.
- Turing_Machine 3y ago> Someday soon we’ll just be able to sequence its genome and reconstruct it without needing to keep samples alive That's already been done, I think.
- junofan 3y agoSome guy did a chimeric horsepox by ordering stuff off GeneArt and IDT.
- vgel 3y agoOh, we already sequenced it awhile back. As for physical media, that's not exactly what happened... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/NC_001611.1?report=fasta https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/NC_001611.1?report=fast...
- COGlory 3y agoI kinda doubt there's not some critical "mutation" in there that'll prevent it from replicating.
- Evidlo 3y agoIs that really true? Don't epigenetics play a factor here?