SCIENCE, CHRIS BICKELThe genetic code normally contains 64 codons, but researchers from Harvard University and their colleagues have designed an Escherichia coli genome with only 57 codons, replacing the others wholesale. In a paper published today (August 18) in Science, the team describes the computer-generated genome and reports on the first phases of its synthesis in the lab.
“We create something that really pushes the limit of genomes,” study coauthor Nili Ostrov, a postdoc in George Church’s lab at Harvard, told The Scientist. “The idea is that this is completely new, and we’re trying to see if it’s viable.”
In the planned 57-codon E. coli genome, each of the seven deleted codons is exchanged for a synonymous one. The team has a number of goals for the project. Once the E. coli genome is pared down to 57 codons, the seven blank codons can be reintegrated and used to introduce nonstandard amino acids, the researchers have proposed; this would open the door to creating a wider range of proteins for industrial applications.
A recoded genome also imparts resistance to viral infection and can ...
