EPFLの科学者らがoptovolutionと呼ばれる手法を開発した。光を使って状態を切り替え、環境を感知し、計算を行うタンパク質を進化させる。酵母細胞を、タンパク質が動的に振る舞う場合にのみ生存できるように工学設計することで、この手法は最適な変異体を迅速に選択する。Cell誌に掲載されたこの手法は、合成生物学とオプトジェネティクスを進展させる。
自然界の進化は、DNA、RNA、タンパク質における有効な変異の選択を通じて生物系を形成する。人間はこのプロセスを長らく操作してきた。農業における選択育種から、実験室での現代の指向進化までで、後者は酵素や抗体などのタンパク質を医療や産業向けに改良するものだ。
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Researchers at Kyoto University and RIKEN report that human cells can detect “non-optimal” synonymous codons—alternative three-letter genetic instructions that encode the same amino acid but are translated less efficiently—and selectively suppress the corresponding mRNAs. In experiments described in Science, the team identifies the RNA-binding protein DHX29 as a central component of this codon-dependent control of gene expression.
Researchers at Dongguk University in Seoul have developed a magnetically controlled switch for turning on genes inside cells, as detailed in a recent Cell paper. The technique uses a specific electromagnetic signal to activate genes in mice and human cells. Critics, however, question the plausibility of the results and point to potential flaws in the study.
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Researchers have discovered that distantly related butterflies and moths have used the same two genes, ivory and optix, for more than 120 million years to create similar warning colors on their wings. This finding suggests evolution can follow predictable genetic pathways rather than being entirely random. The study focused on species from South American rainforests.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a straightforward method to produce complex entangled quantum states using basic adjustments in optical cavity systems. The approach relies on existing laboratory tools and could advance quantum sensing applications. Their findings appear in a recent issue of Physical Review X.
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Researchers at EPFL have created the first chip-scale ultrafast laser that matches the performance of traditional tabletop femtosecond lasers. The device delivers pulses as short as 147 femtoseconds with energies of 1.05 nanojoules.