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We're starting early with the resurrections of ancient things in 2023 aren't we?

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In general, this seems like a bad idea….but who am I to judge proteins?

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>He also analyzed the DNA sequence known as PAM, which allows microbes to distinguish between their own genomes and the genomes of viruses. Without PAMs, a bacterium could easily kill itself. But the new study – of which Mojica is a co-author – indicates that some of the oldest CAS enzymes are capable of cutting DNA accurately without the need for PAM.

The old-one probably was fast in recombination/evolution in the early days....until PAM came along and was utilized as a fail-safe mechanism against eating the good part of itself and thus survived and multiplied.

Good that we are evolved enough to work around billion years old fail-safe mechanisms. Now I just ponder about DNA that can be transcribed more efficiently when you get rid of all the unnecessary redundancy. Maybe replace it with a QR-code only to buy your daily protein infusion.

Nice, I can't wait to see some Precambrian protein powder in the sports nutrition section of the stores

Gain of function research has been going so smoothly...

Isn't it great that we're not just omniscient but wise as of a nanosecond ago? Hybris was for people who didn't have powerful tools.

I wish someone would wake me up before they go-go

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>In general, this seems like a bad idea….

Why?

How many of those proteins do we need for 1 dinosaur?

I feel like this could belong in whatcouldgowrong

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I had friends like that once, but they died in a freak gasoline fight accident. It’s especially sad because they were really, really good looking.

I hope very much this is sarcasm.

Because evolution normally phases things out from the past and there might be an underlying issue that may not seem obvious to us from looking at it, but in practice it didnt/doesnt work or itd still be around. So I was just saying that in a weird way.

It is not like oddly folded proteins have never been a problem for mammals, right?

Evolution doesn't do anything. Evolution is simply what happens over many, many generations when slight variations within a population gives some individuals a slightly better chance to spread their genes. It's not like evolution is some sort of intelligent force that selectively makes small improvements over time and never goes "backwards".

A good example are those weird ancient deer that thought: "You know, this land thing is way overrated", and became whales. If evolution phased out stuff, we wouldn't have aquatic mammals.

That isn't at all how evolution works.

Yes, so evolution gave way to “slight variations” in other proteins that ended up working better….not these old ass proteins or theyd still be around. Does that not make sense?

With the way you are describing things genetic diseases would never be a thing because they would be "phased out".

I literally know nothing about these exact proteins, but just because something is better at making a microorganisms reproduce billions of years ago doesn't mean it's the best for us today, just it's still good enough not to have given us a reproductive disadvantage. It also doesn't mean it's the best for us as modern humans. We have shittons of defects that might not matter too much in terms of evolution, but is something we definitely would love to get rid of as humans.

Another good example of how the motto of evolution is "good enough" is oxygen. Our cells are literally constantly poisoning and damaging themselves with oxygen in order to produce energy to function, but it works well enough for us to reproduce before we get too fucked up and die.

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Do you want Cronenbergs? Because that's how you get Cronenbergs!

> but they died in a freak gasoline fight accident.

pretty unlucky that fireball juggler on a unicycle rode by. Boy does he feel guilty.

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I see what you're saying, but look at it this way, sometimes medical researchers find new uses for old drugs, some that were even harmful in certain applications (eg thalidomide), so it's possible an archaic protein could be useful, and not dangerous.

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This has werewolf apocalypse written all over it

In the frozen body of bilions years ago ?

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