AI creates first synthetic life with only 19 amino acids
AI helped remove isoleucine from E. coli's ribosome, a biological first.
Deep Dive
Researchers from Columbia, MIT, and Harvard used AI protein language models to create a strain of E. coli that lacks isoleucine, one of the 20 universal amino acids—making it the first organism with fewer than 20. While 18 of 50 individual strains grew normally, the final combined strain grew more slowly than unmodified ones. The breakthrough supports theories that early life may have used fewer amino acids and opens the door to custom synthetic organisms in medicine, with future possibilities for space habitats.
Key Points
- First organism with 19 amino acids, removing isoleucine from the ribosome
- AI protein language models generated substitute sequences that humans wouldn't have designed
- 18 of 50 AI-created strains grew normally; a combined strain with 21 rewritten proteins survived
Why It Matters
Opens door to custom synthetic organisms for medicine, containment, and space exploration.