Researchers Create First Complete Computer Model of Entire Living Organism
researchers have successfully made a computer model of Mycoplasma genitalium, the world’s tiniest free-living bacterium.
…M. genitalium has the smallest genome of any living organism—a mere 525 genes—but even for an organism of its size, it takes that much information to account for every interaction it will undergo in its lifespan. Researchers tallied the number of experimentally determined parameters in the model at more than 1,900; those were split up into 28 algorithms, which stepped in for biological processes.
(via Researchers Build First Complete Computer Model of an Entire Organism | Popular Science)
NYU Physicists Develop Method to Grow Artificial Tissue
New York University physicists have developed a method that models biological cell-to-cell adhesion that could also have industrial applications.
This system, created in the laboratory of Jasna Brujić, an assistant professor in NYU’s Department of Physics and part of its Center for Soft Matter Research, is an oil-in-water solution whose surface properties reproduce those found on biological cells. Specifically, adhesion between compressed oil droplets mimics the mechanical properties of tissues and opens the path to numerous practical applications, ranging from biocompatible cosmetics to artificial tissue engineering.
Previously, Brujić’s laboratory determined how spheres pack and devised methods for manipulating the packing process. In this PNAS study, Brujić and her research team sought to create a method that would address the role of packing in tissues from the point of view of how mechanical forces affect protein-protein adhesion between cells.
(via NYU physicists devise method for building artificial tissue | KurzweilAI)
Scottish Scientists Developing Inorganic Life
The cells, called inorganic-chemical-cells or iCHELLS, are rudimentary compared to the myriad of life that is the result of millions of years of evolution. However, considering that they are manmade and composed of materials not associated with life on this planet is a major accomplishment.
The iCHELLS can be nested together, and allow chemicals to pass through their walls. This would allow certain chemical processes to be compartmentalized, as they are in biological cells. The cells are modeled off our current understanding of how life began on this planet, and as they progress could help scientists fill in the historical gaps in the story of all life on Earth.
Beyond the theoretical value of the iCHELLS, researchers believe that they might have practical applications as well.The cells can store electricity, perhaps making them viable power sources. Their multi-layered structure could also be utilized for running chemical reaction separate from the world around them. One wonders about these two attributes being used in advanced medical equipments, like medicine delivery inside the body or as advanced sensors.
