Scientists discover double meaning in genetic code

[DavidDvorkin]

Discovery casts new light on how changes to DNA impact health and disease

Scientists have discovered a second code hiding within DNA. This second code contains information that changes how scientists read the instructions contained in DNA and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/uow-sdd121113.php

[longship]

1. A DNA palimpsest? More info from link.

The genetic code uses a 64-letter alphabet called codons. The UW team discovered that some codons, which they called duons, can have two meanings, one related to protein sequence, and one related to gene control. These two meanings seem to have evolved in concert with each other. The gene control instructions appear to help stabilize certain beneficial features of proteins and how they are made.

The discovery of duons has major implications for how scientists and physicians interpret a patient's genome and will open new doors to the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

"The fact that the genetic code can simultaneously write two kinds of information means that many DNA changes that appear to alter protein sequences may actually cause disease by disrupting gene control programs or even both mechanisms simultaneously," said Stamatoyannopoulos.

[silverweb]

2. Too cool for words.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]So the Universe could well be a giant hologram (one of a multitude of such) and our DNA contains highly advanced programming with double-meanings (at least) written into its code.

Maybe we really are all just characters in some giant cosmic video game.

Makes the imagination run wild, doesn't it?


Rock on!

[CFLDem]

3. I've always kinda leaned towards the Matrix theory myself.

[silverweb]

4. One article on the hologram idea cracked me up.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I forget which one it was, but the last paragraph made reference to fodder for "stoned college dorm discussions."

I may be a "senior citizen" now, but I never quite outgrew the love of such gab fests... even without the "stoned" part (which would have been unthinkable in the conservative environment of my youth).

[FogerRox]

5. Reminds me of Sagans Contact

2nd level of encryption in the message.

[silverweb]

6. Yes!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]One of my favorite books/movies of all time!