Collaborative Research: Life with an RNA Genome

合作研究：RNA 基因组的生命

• 批准号: 1935366
• 负责人: Jef Boeke
• 金额: $ 129.3万
• 依托单位: New York University Medical Center
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-15 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1935366&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Life; RNA; Genome

This research will explore origins-of-life by studying the transition from a primordial world in which RNA served as the repository of biological information to the first cells with DNA-based genomes. Trainees will gain expertise with chromosome-scale synthetic biology, a rapidly developing technology with transformative capabilities. Educational components situated at the intersection of STEM fields, social sciences, and rhetoric will engage a broad cohort of students discussing pressing issues in ethics and governance and the themes that shape scientific inquiry. Outreach will involve production of new media accessible to non-experts paired with in-depth written companion articles.Most theories of the origins-of-life posit an RNA world of self-replicating RNA molecules, followed by an RNA/protein world and possibly RNA-based protocells, and leading to present-day cells where RNA has been replaced by DNA as the information source. The transition from RNA to DNA is crucial, yet little is known about the constraints of RNA as a cellular genome. Although RNA-based cells no longer exist on Earth, RNA viruses may be remnants of pre-DNA life, and RNA life may exist elsewhere in the universe. This research will create new enabling technologies to launch artificial RNA chromosomes (ARCs) in bacterial and eukaryotic cells, characterize the physical stability of ARCs inside these hosts, measure the fidelity of information transmission to daughter cells, and finally provide evidence for the information capacity of RNA-based genomes. The ultimate goals are to establish ARCs as essential chromosomes within E. coli and S. cerevisiae (yeast) hosts. These cells would represent new forms of artificial life, which along with other novel and radically modified organisms (N/RMOs) are of great public interest. The current governance of N/RMOs will be surveyed, and ethics and governance principles that should guide future research will be recommended.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项研究将通过研究从 RNA 作为生物信息库的原始世界到第一个具有基于 DNA 基因组的细胞的转变来探索生命的起源。学员将获得染色体级合成生物学的专业知识，这是一种快速发展的具有变革能力的技术。位于 STEM 领域、社会科学和修辞学交叉领域的教育部分将吸引广大学生讨论伦理和治理方面的紧迫问题以及塑造科学探究的主题。外展活动将涉及制作非专家可以访问的新媒体，并配有深入的书面配套文章。大多数生命起源理论都假设一个由自我复制的 RNA 分子组成的 RNA 世界，其次是 RNA/蛋白质世界，可能还有一个世界。基于 RNA 的原始细胞，并导致现代细胞中 RNA 已被 DNA 取代作为信息来源。从 RNA 到 DNA 的转变至关重要，但人们对 RNA 作为细胞基因组的限制知之甚少。尽管地球上不再存在基于RNA的细胞，但RNA病毒可能是DNA前生命的残余物，而RNA生命也可能存在于宇宙的其他地方。这项研究将创造新的使能技术，在细菌和真核细胞中发射人工RNA染色体（ARC），表征这些宿主体内ARC的物理稳定性，测量信息传输到子细胞的保真度，并最终为子细胞的信息能力提供证据。基于 RNA 的基因组。最终目标是将 ARC 建立为大肠杆菌和酿酒酵母（酵母）宿主内的必需染色体。这些细胞将代表人工生命的新形式，与其他新型和彻底改造的有机体（N/RMO）一起引起了公众的极大兴趣。将对 N/RMO 当前的治理进行调查，并提出指导未来研究的道德和治理原则。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。