As mentioned in the last post, for some reason (actually quite a good reason we’ll get to soon) scientists at ETH Zurich and the University of Freiburg im Breisgau thought it’d be a great idea to splice some human genes into . . . er, moss . . . and see what happened. Ordinarily, you’d have to finesse the DNA to get it to work in a plant. But this worked just great the first time.
What’s even better are the AWESOME MOSS BIOREAKTORS they used to do it!
Is that Luke Skywalker in there? The only thing that could possibly make this image more awesome would be some lightning shooting out of the tops of those reaktors (cannot help self -- the Germanic K is too much fun). Eat your hearts out, nuclear physicists! Click image for source.
Now I ask you, does it get any cooler than bionic moss? Although this does beg the question: Why, on God’s Green Earth?
Because this bizarre, dissociated, barely recognizable moss could provide a cheaper, easier and more economical way to produce drugs like insulin. Right now such proteins are produced in relatively costly and difficult-to-maintain mammalian cell cultures with organic vegan-class nutritional and environmental requirements. Only industrial countries can handle the complexities, and demand is outstripping supply.
Moss, on the other hand, makes its own food. All it needs is some light, a few inexpensive salts, water, and room to grow. Have Chlorophyll — Will Transcribe. A simple growth solution also makes purification of the product protein much easier, according to the paper. With such a set-up, even developing nations may one day be able to make insulin for their own diabetics. Yes, better living through biokemistry. : )
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