Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Unknown unknowns: essential genes in quest for function.


ABSTRACT: The experimental design of a minimal synthetic genome revealed the presence of a large number of genes without ascribed function, in part because the abstract laws of life must be implemented within ad hoc material contraptions. Creating a function needs recruitment of some pre-existing structure and this reveals kludges in their set-up and history. Here, we show that looking for functions as an engineer would help in discovery of a significant number of those, proposed together with conceptual handles allowing investigators to pursue this endeavour in other contexts.

SUBMITTER: Danchin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4993169 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Unknown unknowns: essential genes in quest for function.

Danchin Antoine A   Fang Gang G  

Microbial biotechnology 20160720 5


The experimental design of a minimal synthetic genome revealed the presence of a large number of genes without ascribed function, in part because the abstract laws of life must be implemented within ad hoc material contraptions. Creating a function needs recruitment of some pre-existing structure and this reveals kludges in their set-up and history. Here, we show that looking for functions as an engineer would help in discovery of a significant number of those, proposed together with conceptual  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC3884060 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC135234 | biostudies-literature
| PRJEB10900 | ENA
| S-EPMC9228065 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7225282 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7194457 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC110991 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6722859 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC1564143 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC10878826 | biostudies-literature