←back to thread

1162 points jbredeche | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.211s | source
Show context
MrZander ◴[] No.43998447[source]
> To accomplish that feat, the treatment is wrapped in fatty lipid molecules to protect it from degradation in the blood on its way to the liver, where the edit will be made. Inside the lipids are instructions that command the cells to produce an enzyme that edits the gene. They also carry a molecular GPS — CRISPR — which was altered to crawl along a person’s DNA until it finds the exact DNA letter that needs to be changed.

That is one of the most incredible things I have ever read.

replies(20): >>43998602 #>>43999018 #>>43999182 #>>43999228 #>>43999351 #>>43999647 #>>43999883 #>>44000363 #>>44000383 #>>44000524 #>>44000545 #>>44000725 #>>44001330 #>>44002188 #>>44002243 #>>44002289 #>>44002568 #>>44003457 #>>44008340 #>>44011060 #
poyu ◴[] No.43998602[source]
Made it sound like it's a computer, is it Turing complete?
replies(9): >>43998643 #>>43998749 #>>43998847 #>>43998855 #>>43998871 #>>43998952 #>>43998991 #>>43999148 #>>44000096 #
joshmarlow ◴[] No.44000096[source]
If this thread interests you, you should check out "Blood Music" by Greg Bear. It's pretty old but the premise is that a researcher 'closes the loop' in a bunch of cells by making them able to edit their own DNA - thus making them Turing Complete.

Hilarity subsequently ensues.

replies(2): >>44000194 #>>44002204 #
1. xarope ◴[] No.44002204[source]
As I get older, I'd be happy with some minor incremental progress on addressing myopia and hyperopia.