They discover a new form of life in our bodies: “This is madness”

Scientists at Stanford University have discovered a new form of life – although for now they are based on a preprint – Which he called “Obelisk”, Similar to viruses found in bacteria in the human mouth and intestines.

According to researchers, These columns contain mixed genomes RNA loops that have been found around the world. In the words of Mark Peiffer, a cell biologist at the University of North Carolina, “It’s crazy,” and he confirms it. “The more we look, the crazier things we see.”

Despite this discovery, It’s too early to know more And according to the explanations of Matthew Sullivan, a biologist at Ohio University, it is not known to what extent or whether these pillars can affect human health. If confirmed, these obelisk bacteria could alter the genetic activity of hosts. And thus affect human genes.

How RNA and DNA work

To understand what results this discovery can reach, it is important to know what is the difference between RNA and DNA. The first is responsible for delivering protein production “recipes” encoded in DNA-based genes to a molecular “kitchen” outside the cell nucleus that binds the protein’s amino acids.

On the other hand, many viruses, such as those that cause Ebola or COVID-19, eschew DNA, which leads to the genome that encodes the proteins that make up the viral envelope and ribozymes, the enzymes that allow the virus to copy its native RNA. Allow copying. room

According to Simon Roux, a computational biologist at the DOE Joint Genome Institute at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this work “A clear sign that we are still exploring the limits Of this viral universe”.

Given this scenario, the question Roux asks focuses on whether viruses evolved from increasingly complex viroids and obelisks, or if they emerged earlier. And then they transformed into these simple structures.