In the next few decades, we may understand how to create a whole new kind of life. In a mirror cell, all molecules are mirror images seen in normal cells. Such reversed cells probably did not exist on our planet in their 4.5 billion year history. But one day I was able to make them – perhaps as a way to make new medicines, or simply escaped from pure scientific curiosity about the origins and evolution of life.
But should we? According to a coalition of synthetic biologists and biosafety experts, the answer is “no.” They argue that life in the mirror poses an “unprecedented risk” to the health of all living creatures on Earth. If it comes out, we may not be able to recapture it, leading to a “permeable lethal infection.”
It's an apocalyptic-sounding threat, but if we create these new life forms, is it really as dangerous as the team claims? And while life in a mirror could be decades away, is there anything you can do now to reduce your risk?
Many of the essential molecules of life can exist in two mirror-shaped forms, such as the left and right hand of a person. These “chiral” molecules are difficult to distinguish from each other, but their distinct shapes cause different behavior. No matter how much you rotate a left-handed molecule, it will not match the right-handed molecule.
Source: www.newscientist.com
