Science News: The Key to Immortality is Dying Early and Often [Jack M.]

At least that's the lesson I took out of this article.

But then, I may have missed the point.

Apparently, scientists have discovered a strand of bacteria (Deinococcus radiodurans for those of you scoring at home) that is able to die and resurrect itself due to an innate ability to repair its own DNA genome, even if that genome is destroyed.

Hell...I'll just let the article explain it. That's what blockquote is for anyway.

Without a genome, the microbe is effectively dead because it can't synthesize the proteins necessary for life.

In only a few hours, though, Deinococcus can reassemble its genome and return to life.

"This is the first case, I think, of a living cell that clinically dies — its DNA is chopped into little pieces and it has no metabolism — when desiccated, and yet, as long as it can reconstitute its genome, it reconstitutes its own life," said study team member Miroslav Radman of the University of Paris.

So how does this work? Short version:

The microbe is able to perform its remarkable feat because, like other bacteria, it carries at least two, sometimes more, copies of its genome and also because radiation damages DNA randomly.

So even if both genome copies are damaged, they likely aren't damaged in the same spots.

With the right tools, a microbe can piece together what the original sequence was.

The longer version involves DNA sequencing and proteins and all sorts of other stuff that is laid out in the article.

Why should we care?

Radman believes his team's findings open up the possibility of resurrecting dead cells in our own bodies, specifically those in our brains.

"It allows us now, legitimately, to dream of bringing back to life dead, or close-to-dead, neurons," he said.

Ahhh...immortality.

So let me sum up this article in a way that may make it more familiar to regular readers of AoS.

Remember the episode of Star Trek where Harry Mudd kidnapped the crew of the Enterprise on behalf of a bunch of androids who wanted to study humanity in greater detail? Later on, the androids tried to thwart Kirk & Co.'s escape attempts by offering Lt. Uhura the opportunity to place her brain in an android body so she could live forever with eternal youth?

Of course you do.

These scientists are essentially the androids, and the bacteria are the key to placing Uhura's brain in a young body forever.

So suppose they are right. And you are offered Uhura's choice. Do you take it?

I don't.

Who wants to live forever? Half the fun in life is spurred on by knowing that one day it will end.

The other half? By getting to read my posts on a daily basis.

Which, come to think of it, is sort of similar to the first half. Because, after all, some of the fun of reading my posts is knowing that they too must eventually come to an end.

Which I guess means the ration is more like 75/25. But I was told there would be no math.

posted by Ace at 12:18 PM

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