The Continuing Mystery of Life’s Building Blocks
A team of scientists has created an organism with only the genes that are essential to life – an effort that also reveals how little we know about basic biological processes. Indeed, the scientists have not figured out the purpose of nearly one-third of the genes needed to keep the organism alive, healthy, and reproducing.
GARRISON, NEW YORK – Imagine for a moment that you have come across a trove of marvelous devices left by an ancient civilization. These mysterious instruments vary widely in size and complexity, but they all share a few wondrous capabilities.