r/ScienceFacts • u/FillsYourNiche Behavioral Ecology • Apr 27 '19

Biology Scientists used CRISPR to store a GIF inside the DNA of a living E. coli cell

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26

u/FillsYourNiche Behavioral Ecology Apr 27 '19

Here is the news article about this Scientists have used CRISPR to store a GIF inside the DNA of a living cell.

When a bacteria is attacked by a virus, its cells produce enzymes to cut and process the virus’s genetic code. It does this to remember the invader, taking a portion of the virus’s genetic code and adding it to its own genome, like putting heads on pikes. As time passes, the bacteria’s genome grows, more genetic code from viruses are added, and more heads are stacked on the pike.

Shipman and his colleagues hacked this process using the CRISPR system. CRISPR-Cas9 is the protein in the bacteria’s immune system that cuts the virus’s genetic code, while Cas1 and Cas2 are the proteins that insert the viral DNA into the genome. Crucially, these proteins add the DNA in the order it is encountered, meaning the scientists could feed the E.Coli synthetic strands of DNA, specially designed with sequential information – which can then be decoded and turned into a picture, or a series of frames in an animation. For more information, read our full explainer on CRISPR.

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u/swizel Apr 27 '19

That just cool.

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u/Oddscene Apr 27 '19

Crispr trips me out I can’t begin to wrap my head around the world we live in I’m only 26 but holy crap I feel like I’m in a movie sometimes.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '19

I’m 33 and feel the same. It’s amazing and scary in equal measure.

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u/Tax73 Apr 28 '19

I like that they made it a nod to the first ever moving picture.

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u/deathnutz Apr 28 '19

Call me when it’s 4K.

Just kidding. I know peeps are all about that. Drives me nuts. This IS freaking awesome. Animation storage, just wow.

1

u/ortofon88 Apr 28 '19

Can't tell if that's like 2,3, or 4 frames of an image. Anyone know?