Scientists are sounding the alarm about “mirror bacteria”
Head to my Substack for a deeper dive article that goes beyond the video on my weekly newsletter
Life on Earth follows a strict molecular “handedness” rule: DNA twists right, proteins use left-handed amino acids. This homochirality is one of biology’s greatest mysteries – and now 38 scientists (including Nobel winners) warn that creating organisms with opposite handedness could be catastrophic.
Mirror bacteria would carry molecular “fake IDs” our immune systems can’t read. No natural predators, no existing antibiotics would work. Think ultimate invasive species, but microscopic.
The science: While mirror molecules show promise for stable drugs, entire mirror organisms could spread unchecked through ecosystems. Currently impossible to create, but AI advances might make it feasible within a decade.
This is preventative science at its best – researchers raising alarms before the technology exists, not after. The mystery of why life chose its molecular handedness remains unsolved, but maybe we’ll crack it without creating new existential risks in the process.
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