Bio-technological organism

[Mr Skeptic]

Here's something I've been wondering about for a while. We're a technological species, that can create tools external to ourselves for our own use. Is there a possiblity that a species could be a bio-technological species, that is able to manipulate it's body to make new tools or proteins or enzymes or antibodies? Basically an organism that is able to genetically engineer itself.

 

For example if a critter had a mechanism to "intentionally" mutate an mRNA (or copy and mutate DNA) for an enzyme, but place the resulting enzyme in a vessicle to test its effectiveness. Then if it is useful, add the new information to its genome. Though relatively simple, however, it seems that the path to something like that would be irreducibly complex and highly disadvanteous until complete. Maybe it could start from an immune system kind of thing.

 

In any case, if something like that could be made, it might be far more useful than our own technological method. The information could be easily shared (as easy as sex ), and could exist in such a data-dense form that it would put our own crude hard drives and such to shame. At about 1,000,000,000,000 gigabits per cubic centimeter, an individual could conceivably be able to store an entire civilization's worth of data. And if it could develop DNA computing, it might put our best brains and computers to shame.

 

Anyhow, do people think it would be possible for a critter to manipulate it's own DNA? Could if form naturally, or would it have to be artificially created, or would it be plain impossible?

[Reaper]

Well, I know the zerg can do it, but they are a fictional species.

 

Otherwise, you might want to read up on this: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dna-computer.htm

 

and

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/02/0224_030224_DNAcomputer.html

[ecoli]

Well, I know the zerg can do it, but they are a fictional species.

I know some South Koreans who would object to that!

[jerrywickey]

What an incredible idea!

 

Instead of making a hammer, an organism could make a protein coding gene and see if the new protein tissue works like it wants.

 

First of all, from an engineering point of view, it seems the genetic mechanisms are available for engineering. The mechanisms that would be needed to assemble a temporary sequence given intuitive instructions by thought alone, is little different than the biomechanisms which turn our thoughts into bio signals that actuate our muscles.

 

The problem would be there is no engineer to put the mechanisms together. I can not imagine a plausible evolutionary path that might arrange genetic mechanisms to produce a temporary nucleotide sequence according to our thoughts, then translate it to peptides and provide a sample for the organism to play with and test to see if it works like he wanted.

 

With a tool, we can make the handle longer or the hammer head heavier. To be a true biotool, the same testing and adjustment would have to be possible. This even applies when using a twig. Some twigs are too big and have to be discarded.

 

Jerry