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INTERMEDIATE FORM. “While we must bear in mind that most non-canonical codes evolved independently from the others, and so may have evolved through different steps, it is nevertheless intriguing to have an extant nuclear genome with an ambiguous intermediate.” https://lnkd.in/d87ZWbH View in LinkedIn

PREDICTION FULFILLED. “Swart et al. recently reported evidence for just such a context-dependent process linked to a similar genetic code change in a ciliate, where UAR=Q and UGA=W or stop, depending on the downstream sequence. These codes are also exciting because they fulfill a central prediction of one of the models for how the genetic code evolves, the Ambiguous Intermediate model.” https://lnkd.in/d87ZWbH View in LinkedIn

MORE EXCEPTIONS. “It was the stand-out nature of stop codons that first alerted Zahonova et al. to the presence of the new non-canonical codes in Blastocrithidia. But digging deeper they encountered something more interesting. The most frequent nuclear code change is UAR=Q (stop codons UAA and UAG to encode glutamine). Zahonova et al. found instead that UAR=E and that UGA=W (which is common in bacteria).” https://lnkd.in/d87ZWbH View in LinkedIn

STILL TO FIND. “In contrast, a code where two amino acid-encoding codons were altered would appear in DNA sequence to be slightly divergent, but not obviously translated by a different genetic code. But it is therefore possible, even likely, that non-canonical genetic codes involving switches between amino acids have been observed but escaped our detection.” https://lnkd.in/d87ZWbH View in LinkedIn

STOP CODONS. “Because the code governs the translation of nucleotide to amino acid sequences, a code can in principle only be confirmed when both the gene and protein sequences are known. Stop codons stick out as a sore thumb in DNA sequence because they disrupt the coding region in a way that is difficult to overlook or misinterpret, so these codes can be strongly inferred from DNA sequence.” https://lnkd.in/d87ZWbH View in LinkedIn

SKEW FROM RANDOM. "Digital organisms that have evolved through many generations display a curious pattern of instructions. "Some instructions are used much more often and some other instructions are used much, much, much less than their random occurrence." https://lnkd.in/d4b3fY4 View in LinkedIn

KARL SIMS, a digital media artist, computer graphics scientist, and entrepreneur (GenArts, special effects software); he worked at: Thinking Machines Corp, Optomystic, and Whitney/Demos Productions. Education: MIT Media Lab, and MIT undergraduate degree (life sciences). Awards included ARS Electronica Golden Nincas and McArthur "Genius Grant". http://www.karlsims.com/ View in LinkedIn

IMAGINING THE UNIMAGINABLE. "Adami believes that his research may also prove useful in the search for extraterrestrial life. One of the difficult questions that astrobiologists struggle with is how they will be able to recognize the biosignature of life forms on other worlds that may have a different chemical foundation than life on Earth." https://lnkd.in/d4b3fY4 View in LinkedIn

"AVIDA is an auto-adaptive genetic system designed primarily for use as a platform in Digital or Artificial Life research. The Avida system is based on concepts similar to those employed by the tierra program developed by Tom Ray. In lay terms, Avida is a digital world in which simple computer programs mutate and evolve. " https://lnkd.in/dZqxxrU View in LinkedIn

AVIDA. "The organisms exist as sequences of self-replicating computer code. The digital bugs evolve at lightning speed, and they leave tracks for scientists to study." https://lnkd.in/d4b3fY4 View in LinkedIn