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A Virus-Resistant Organism — and What It Could Mean for the Future | Jason W. Chin | TED

What if we could use the power of DNA to create a sustainable, circular economy? In a talk about breakthrough science, synthetic biologist Jason W. Chin describes his team’s work rewriting the genetic blueprint of cells to create a virus-resistant organism — the largest synthetic genome ever made and a first step towards reimagining what…

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What if we could use the power of DNA to create a sustainable, circular economy? In a talk about breakthrough science, synthetic biologist Jason W. Chin describes his team’s work rewriting the genetic blueprint of cells to create a virus-resistant organism — the largest synthetic genome ever made and a first step towards reimagining what life can become. Learn more about how this advancement could lay the groundwork for the sustainable factories of the future, capable of producing plastics, antibiotics and more.

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49 Comments

49 Comments

  1. axelasdf

    November 13, 2022 at 1:25 pm

    Sounds like manufacturing a single point of failure

    • John Sirois

      November 13, 2022 at 2:09 pm

      Maybe (just maybe) on purpose.

    • Piñata Oblongata

      November 13, 2022 at 4:37 pm

      Yes, it’s removing redundancy, but that’s fine for the use-case. Living things rely on the redundancy to survive, but if you have one cell generating one mis-translated or misfolded protein or polymer product in your factory, it’s probably not going to matter much.

  2. Brett

    November 13, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    I’m glad he understands what he’s talking about!

  3. DeRPahert

    November 13, 2022 at 1:57 pm

    Can’t wait for the downfall of humanity

  4. Be-lal Alkad-imi

    November 13, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    Great information here, reminds me of Star Trek’s futuristic medical knowledge.

    I’m amazed at Jason’s ability to present this so fluidly without prompters, and synchronize himself with the slides. I’m guessing that he rehearsed this enough to present it so flawlessly.

    We are becoming gods with this manipulation. But that’s probably a good thing….who knows ?….time will tell.

    Thank you for all your research and work Jason.

  5. Ligia Sommers

    November 13, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    🎉🎉🎉🙏🏻

  6. thefreebychoice

    November 13, 2022 at 2:37 pm

    Some non-essential amino acids work really well for certain conditions. I take NAC on a daily basis and it helps me breathe. Works just as good as a pharmaceutical

  7. akShaya

    November 13, 2022 at 2:38 pm

    WOW🤩

  8. Geovanni Ali

    November 13, 2022 at 2:39 pm

    If you think thats good.Try mixing super glue with
    Baking soda, toilet roll, cigarette ash etc…
    Please try safely.

  9. Britton Price

    November 13, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    And this is the basis for the mark of the beast. You will no longer be eligible for salvation because you will no longer be human. Just like Esau who sold his birth right for a bowl of stew.

    • Antwone

      November 13, 2022 at 7:58 pm

      Sir wtf are u talking about💀

    • Βασιλική Λογοθέτη

      November 13, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      Great work on minimizing the human experience in a bunch of molecules. I like taking new inventions with a grain of salt, but this just sounds delusional to me. Id like you to elaborate further if you can

  10. Clemont

    November 13, 2022 at 2:43 pm

    mind boggling stuff explaind so simply! wow!

  11. Hernan . Guerrero

    November 13, 2022 at 3:01 pm

    Well, it was a clear and groundbreaking talk. But I found laking the “show results” part. A video, a plastic sample, anything that shows some practical applications. We are left with “nothing to see here” go to bed.

  12. Varun Nikam

    November 13, 2022 at 3:04 pm

    it is interesting

  13. Victor Ottati

    November 13, 2022 at 3:34 pm

    These guys are heroes, I hope this brings better health to people

  14. Ang Li Kai

    November 13, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    Would viruses evolve?

    • Antwone

      November 13, 2022 at 7:40 pm

      How would they even evolve to counteract this? If the host literally doesn’t have the mechanisms to make the new viruses they can’t replicate.

  15. Krista

    November 13, 2022 at 4:29 pm

    This is huge… I had no idea that this was possible! There are so many applications for this… Yes, the knowledge could be misused, but that’s the case with everything. It is not the weapon that we should fear, but the hand that holds it.

  16. SoSwiff

    November 13, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    This is Nobel Prize Winning Science. BUT.. somehow for every breakthrough in history there has been a negative outcome and the potential of that!.. makes this scary.

    • Magda Nieniewska

      November 13, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      Do you know that 50% of our DNA was build by viruses? Inhibiting viruses to do their natural updates of our system means DEATH and the end of biological evolution!

  17. Teguh Estro

    November 13, 2022 at 5:21 pm

    Great research, thinking about our future….

  18. gopro bmxusco

    November 13, 2022 at 5:29 pm

    So I’ve shadowed this content in its entirety, good for my English language skills. Thank you from Brazil!

  19. Magda Nieniewska

    November 13, 2022 at 5:34 pm

    What would a virus-resistant organism mean in the future? I can tell you that now – you don’t have to wait: death and the end of biological evolution. 50% of our DNA exists due to viruses. Viruses are like software updates for our “system”. Hey, let’s never ever update our computers again… I wonder what the comeout would be 🤔🤣🤣 Now seriously… I’m starting to doubt the expertise of scientists!!! Asking such questions makes me distrust them permanently!!!

  20. Mr Paul

    November 13, 2022 at 6:06 pm

    Scary and Exciting at the same time

  21. Remy Lebeau

    November 13, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    What if you are getting rid of necessary backups or redundant systems that are there for a reason?

    • Antwone

      November 13, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      I was thinking the same thing if you only have 1 codon for 1 amino acid if that one malfunctions its gonna cause a bunch of problems. However, it’s a good idea. I wonder if introns could be replaced instead…

    • Βασιλική Λογοθέτη

      November 13, 2022 at 8:18 pm

      @Antwone thats what i was thinking too. maybe im wrong, but having two synonym codons in the genome is a better idea, the second codon could act as a backup and the possibility of both malfunctioning is low. the organism would still be immune to most viruses too, especially if the work is done on amino acids which are coded by 4-6 codons.

    • Antwone

      November 14, 2022 at 7:41 am

      @Βασιλική Λογοθέτη yes I believe all things in our body is there for a reason so the backups are there for a reason. However, I think as long as we don’t replace ALL the backups it would be safer.

  22. Remy Lebeau

    November 13, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    And so the replicators were born.

  23. MirageGSM

    November 13, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    A very complex topic explained in a way even a layperson could understand. Thank you!

  24. Eron Thomas

    November 13, 2022 at 10:08 pm

    What it mean for the future. Let phony mail in ballots cast in the future.

  25. beef yogurt

    November 14, 2022 at 1:20 am

    what a speech!

  26. Dot Burkett

    November 14, 2022 at 3:27 am

    Just because we can, should we?

    • John Smiff

      November 14, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      Not just because we can. We’re doing this because it can allow us to perform industrially important reactions much more safely and while producing less environmentally damaging waste products.

  27. Tutu Puff

    November 14, 2022 at 6:36 am

    A friend recently took a new antiviral prescription and became sicker than ever. I don’t like the sound of this at all.

  28. 사랑메이

    November 14, 2022 at 8:01 am

    Pharma mafia companies won’t let this happen

  29. Hudson Licyayo

    November 14, 2022 at 8:45 am

    I wonder what are the safeguards preventing these factories from escaping to the wild.

  30. ComeOn ASMR

    November 14, 2022 at 10:51 am

    Great speech. Very educational. Thanks!

  31. Chipsmore

    November 14, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    This will stop evolution

  32. Andy Cordy

    November 14, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    I’m astonished by this. Surely these ideas and practical applications are a gigantic technological leap forward.

  33. Yu P

    November 14, 2022 at 10:57 pm

    This sounds awesome until you realize that a genetically modified virus-resistant person would be biologically incompatible with generic people, infertile.
    If a genetically crafted bacteria becomes a superbug (resistant to antibiotics) then we’ll have to craft a new virus to kill it, which means it’s no longer resistant to viruses.
    Viruses always take a tiny bit of the cell with them, so there is a possibility to take the machinery too. It’s just a matter of time until it evolves.

  34. Doug Pham Texas

    November 14, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    Didn’t understand a word he said…..it was like another language but in English…..

  35. Keith Hancock

    November 15, 2022 at 12:54 am

    The hubris of man has no bounds, the law of unintended consequences shall reign supreme as it always has throughout history. Survival through alterations is Gods design. Man can’t beat it.

  36. 卵卵

    November 15, 2022 at 4:44 am

    6:07

  37. Aarthu Sri

    November 15, 2022 at 6:04 am

    Just Wow!!

  38. Charlie Z

    November 16, 2022 at 12:12 am

    Now this is forward thinking – need to get private industry and governments on board to fund the commercialisation of this research so it can be applied in the real-world.

  39. Chlorotica Elysia

    November 16, 2022 at 12:43 pm

    Synthetic biologist here. Ask me anything!

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