Ecology

Data from University of Bern Provide New Insights into Life Science Research

  2012 AUG 24 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- Investigators discuss new findings in Life Science Research. According to news originating from Bern, Switzerland, by VerticalNews editors, the research stated, "Synthetic biology is an area of biological research that combines science and engineering. Here, I merge the principles of synthetic biology and regulatory evolution to create a new species with a minimal set of known elements."

  Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Bern, "Using preexisting transgenes and recessive mutations of Drosophila melanogaster, a transgenic population arises with small eyes and a different venation pattern that fulfils the criteria of a new species according to Mayr's Biological Species Concept. The population described here is the first transgenic organism that cannot hybridize with the original wild type population but remains fertile when crossed with other identical transgenic animals. I therefore propose the term 'synthetic species' to distinguish it from 'natural species', not only because it has been created by genetic manipulation, but also because it may never be able to survive outside the laboratory environment. The use of genetic engineering to design artificial species barriers could help us understand natural speciation and may have practical applications."

  According to the news editors, the researchers concluded: "For instance, the transition from transgenic organisms towards synthetic species could constitute a safety mechanism to avoid the hybridization of genetically modified animals with wild type populations, preserving biodiversity."

  For more information on this research see: Design and construction of "synthetic species." Plos One, 2012;7(7):e39054. (Public Library of Science - www.plos.org; Plos One - www.plosone.org)

  The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from E. Moreno, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

  Keywords for this news article include: Bern, Europe, Switzerland, Genetic Engineering, Life Science Research, Science And Engineering.

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