All the information needed to make a cell is in a handful of genes for protein synthesis, some for DNA and RNA metabolism, a few for making the envelope, and a smattering of others. Estimates of the total number of so-called essential genes vary greatly by organism and the screen used to make the determination, and even the definition of essential genes may be variable. Yet the potential in tracking down these bits of code is undeniable.
Several groups have touted the information that could be gleaned from a minimal set of genetic instructions in building organisms from the ground up or stripping away all nonessential genes to create a minimal organism (see Is This Life?). More practically perhaps, all antibiotics target essential genes. Finding those ingredients that an infection can't live without might prove useful.
Researchers have been looking for the essential genome for at least a decade, using ...
