Science & Technology

Scientists call for ban on creation of high-risk 'mirror life' microbes

By T.K. Randall
December 13, 2024

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) It might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to world-ending threats, but 'mirror life' - something that most people likely won't have even heard of - appears to be a legitimate risk.

Those working on this type of research are certainly not trying to create anything harmful, in fact quite the opposite - mirror microbes could have various medicinal and therapeutic benefits.

But, according to an international group of Nobel laureates and other experts, if mirror microbes were to establish themselves out in the environment, they could potentially slip past the immune systems of other organisms, putting everything from plants to humans at risk from lethal infections.

"The threat we're talking about is unprecedented," said evolutionary biologist Prof Vaughn Cooper.

"Mirror bacteria would likely evade many human, animal and plant immune system responses and in each case would cause lethal infections that would spread without check."The group is now calling on research into mirror microbes to be halted for the time being.

"Unless compelling evidence emerges that mirror life would not pose extraordinary dangers, we believe that mirror bacteria and other mirror organisms, even those with engineered biocontainment measures, should not be created," they wrote.

"We therefore recommend that research with the goal of creating mirror bacteria not be permitted, and that funders make clear that they will not support such work."

This whole situation reminds us of a quote from Dr Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park:

"Scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Mirror Life