Last week scientists managed to make bacteria with a 'minimal genome', only 473 genes.
If we can now design bacteria what options would you add to the minimal genome? What do you think bacteria should be doing?
Do you think the first organisms were like these minimal bacteria? Would they have been even simpler? Where did the first forms of life come from? Why do we not see several different 'trees of life' on Earth? Why did it apparently only happen once? Or could there be completely different forms of life hidden somewhere for us to discover?
Come and discuss life as we (don't) know it at GeekSpeak today.
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