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Xenobiology: A Journey towards Parallel Life Forms.
Nediljko Budisa1,2, Vladimir Kubyshkin1, Markus Schmidt3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Dysart Road 144, Winnipeg, R2T 2N2, Canada.
Chembiochem : a European Journal of Chemical Biology
|April 24, 2020
Summary
Xenobiology engineers novel life forms using genetic modification and synthetic chemistry. This science creates and studies "alien" organisms through design and advanced engineering principles.
Area of Science:
- Xenobiology, an emergent technoscience.
- Interdisciplinary field merging genetic engineering, synthetic chemistry, and systems biology.
Background:
- Focuses on the design and creation of life forms with non-natural biochemistries.
- Utilizes anthropogenic chemical compounds as building blocks for novel biological systems.
Discussion:
- Explores the creation of "estranged life forms" or "aliens" through scientific design.
- Differentiates scientific xenobiology from fictional portrayals of extraterrestrial life.
Key Insights:
- Enables the study of life beyond Earth's natural biochemistry.
- Demonstrates the power of combining genetic engineering with synthetic chemistry for biological innovation.
Outlook:
- Paves the way for understanding the fundamental principles of life.
- Opens new frontiers in synthetic biology and the creation of artificial life.
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