ThorsTacHamr t1_jbommjb wrote on March 10, 2023 at 3:27 PM

Reply to comment by RaptureAusculation in I just learned that the known shortest DNA in an “organism” is about 1700 base pairs in a certain virus. Is there a minimum amount of “code” required for an organism (or virus) to function in any capacity? by mcbergstedt

They are using this approach or a very similar one to try to find LUCA ( the lasts universal common ancestor). Not necessarily the first living thing but the oldest living thing that all current organisms can trace their lineages back to.

danby t1_jbopbwg wrote on March 10, 2023 at 3:45 PM

Minimal genome experiments generate organisms that aren't free living so they aren't really aimed at generating something like the LUCA. Mostly these experiments are trying to discover the minimal set of house keeping genes that can maintain a living cell, there's no reason to believe the LUCA was like that, nor any reason to believe that the LUCA had a minimally sized genome.