A burgeoning technology known as «mirror life» has prompted a stark warning from scientists regarding its potential to irrevocably alter the course of evolution on Earth. This concern was highlighted in a recent article published in the esteemed American journal Foreign Affairs, co-authored by Liam Chitayat, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Kate Adamala, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.
The authors elucidate that conventional biological life operates as an astonishingly intricate and consistent system. Its fundamental principles dictate that proteins are constructed almost exclusively from `left-handed` amino acids, while deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) predominantly employs `right-handed` sugars. The groundbreaking concept of «mirror life» would entail a complete inversion of these vital molecular components, essentially creating a chiral opposite of existing biology.
«Mirror bacteria, for instance, could evade existing immunological responses to bacteria and other microbes. This might lead to incurable infections spreading among humans, animals, and plants,» the authors caution in their publication.
A significant concern raised is the current absence of any natural mechanism capable of accurately recognizing or controlling such inverted cells and their internal processes. Consequently, it is highly probable that conventional antibiotics, designed to target specific structures in natural organisms, would prove ineffective against these synthetically inverted cells due to profound structural differences.
The article further emphasizes the profound risks:
«Regardless of whether they are released accidentally or intentionally, mirror organisms could simultaneously bypass human biological defenses, resist treatment, and disrupt ecological balance.»
On the other hand, the biologists acknowledge a potential scientific benefit: these radical changes in cellular structure could provide invaluable insights into how life originally evolved on Earth and the diverse forms it might assume on exoplanets within our Solar System. Nevertheless, the experts unequivocally warn that at humanity`s current stage of technological advancement, the formidable risks associated with pursuing such developments overwhelmingly outweigh any perceived benefits.
