The Economist has published an article discussing a new threat that may face humanity — the so-called 'mirror life'. This concept is being developed by biologists and raises concerns due to its potentially unpredictable consequences for the environment.
What is 'mirror life'?
The term 'mirror life' refers to the possibility of creating living organisms that have a different chirality than ordinary ones. Chirality is a property of molecules that defines their asymmetry. For example, sugar molecules can be 'right-handed', while amino acids, which make up proteins, are 'left-handed'. This means that ordinary organisms can only interact with molecules of a certain chirality.
Why could this be dangerous?
The creation of 'mirror' organisms could lead to serious ecological risks, as such organisms would have no natural enemies and could reproduce uncontrollably in the environment. This could have catastrophic consequences for the entire biosphere of Earth. Possible consequences include:
- Destruction of natural ecosystems.
- Alteration of species balance in nature.
- Unknown effects on human health.
Regulation of research in this area
The authors of the article in Science, consisting of 38 specialists in synthetic biology and other sciences, call for strict restrictions on research in this field. They propose banning the creation of organisms capable of reproduction to avoid unwanted consequences. Some scientists believe that even approaching this threshold could be dangerous, as there will always be those who wish to violate the prohibition.