What to know

• Researchers can now run two genetic codes at the same time, eliminating the need to rewrite every gene when modifying the genetic code.
• The method uses different transfer RNAs and enzymes to charge them for each code, avoiding conflicts within cells.
• The breakthrough should accelerate synthetic biology research, though the approach has not yet been tested in actual living cells.

“Now, researchers have found a way to operate two separate genetic codes simultaneously, avoiding the need to do any work to compensate for altering the code that every protein in a cell relies on.”

Ars Technica article, Science publication · Ars Technica · Aug 25

George Church Synthetic biologist and research group leader