From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri May 30 2003 - 10:16:53 MDT
Well, in a stunning piece of work (to me) researchers
at Washington University School of Medicine have mapped
the yeast "regulome".
"Yeast Genomes Reveal New Sites of Gene Control"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/05/030530082133.htm
This is important because it now means that we have most,
perhaps all, of the regulatory sequences and sites for producing
eukaryotic cells (the building block of all higher organisms)!
Because it has been demonstrated this is feasible, it will
only be a matter of a few years (perhaps 3) before it is
probably repeated for organisms (using perhaps human, mouse,
rat, pig, cow and chimpanzee genomes) so we will have the
regulome of mammals (and us). This will be critical to
understanding multi-cellular, and multi-tissue type and
even organ development. That in turn will allow the
construction of genomes to rapidly generate specific organs.
For the programmers on the list the regulatory sequences
in the DNA and the genes that bind to them and regulate
them are the "conditional statements" of the genomic
programs. From an Andre Norton "Witch World" point
of view -- to me this is like knowing the name of
something -- that in turn gives you power over it.
So, to extropians, "today should be a *good* day to live".
Robert
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