Scientists have warned that “mirror bacteria” produced in laboratories could pose an imminent risk to human health.

These hypothetical organisms get their name from how their molecules would face the opposite way to those in the cells of all existing life—much like the mirror-image shapes of our left and right hands—and could be dangerous to humans because of this fundamental oddity. , animals and plants.

Synthetic bacteria are currently in the early stages of development and could become a reality in more than a decade, according to the journal article. Science.

“Our view is that mirror bacteria and other mirror organisms should not be created,” the researchers wrote.

The direction of a molecule such as the proteins in our body is known as its chirality. All DNA and RNA found in all life forms on Earth are made of “right-handed” molecules, while proteins are made of almost exclusively “left-handed” amino acids.

The chirality of a molecule can determine its structure and function. For example, the drug thalidomide exists as two different chiralities—formally known as enantiomers—where one is therapeutic for treating morning sickness and the other causes serious birth defects.

According to a new paper, work has begun on building bacteria with mirror molecules of the opposite chirality to all other life on Earth, with left-handed DNA and right-handed proteins.

“Driven by curiosity and plausible applications, some scientists have begun work to create life forms composed entirely of mirror-image biological molecules,” the researchers wrote. “The ability to create mirror life is probably at least a decade away and would require major investment and major technical advances.”

According to a new paper, researchers fear that mirror bacteria might be able to escape natural predators such as phage viruses and microscopic protists, or even immune cells in our bodies, because they rely on chiral bonding to recognize the bacteria.

This could mean that immune defenses may not be as effective against mirror bacteria, leaving animals and plants vulnerable to infection without barriers.

“Our analysis suggests that specular bacteria would likely evade many immune mechanisms mediated by chiral molecules, potentially causing fatal infection in humans, animals and plants. They would likely avoid predation by natural chiral phage and many other predators, facilitating environmental spread, ” the researchers wrote.

Scientists suggest that in a worst-case scenario, mirror bacteria could quickly and fatally infect many forms of life on our planet.

“We cannot rule out a scenario in which a mirror bacterium behaves as an invasive species across multiple ecosystems and causes ubiquitous lethal infections in a substantial proportion of plant and animal species, including humans. Even a mirror bacterium with a narrower host range and the ability to invade only a limited set of ecosystems would still could have caused unprecedented and irreversible damage,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers note that while this threat is still far away, it may very well emerge within the next few decades. They say that in the years to come, before mirror bacteria evolve, we need to create restrictions on research on these organisms, if not ban it altogether.

“Unless compelling evidence emerges that mirror life does not pose extraordinary dangers, we believe that mirror bacteria and other mirror organisms, even those with artificial biocontainment measures, should not be created,” the researchers wrote.

“We therefore recommend that research to create mirror bacteria should not be allowed and that funders make it clear that they will not support such work.”

If this research cannot be stopped, the researchers suggest developing ways to control and prevent these mirror bacteria from causing any damage.

“Such research may include studying the interaction of mirror biomolecules with the immune system, as well as developing detection methods and biosurveillance systems. Although countermeasures could not prevent widespread damage, they could offer some limited or localized protection,” they said.

Reference

Adamala, KP, Agashe, D., Belkaid, Y., De C Bittencourt, DM, Cai, Y., Chang, MW, Chen, IA, Church, GM, Cooper, VS, Davis, MM, Devaraj, NK, Endy, , D., Esvelt, KM, Glass, JI, Hand, TW, Inglesby, TV, Isaacs, FJ, James, WG, Jones, JDG, . . . Zuber, M. T. (2024). Confronting the risks of a mirror life. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ads9158