ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Zipping genetic data in DNA could enable scientists to implant complex ‘programmes’ into cells

Scientists took inspiration from digital compression to 'zip' DNA.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
November 13, 2017
in Biology, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Whenever you need to e-mail a friend digital file that’s way too large, such as a video recording or a high-resolution image, the usual course of action is to zip the file to a more manageable size. Softwares that ‘zip’ or compress files work their magic by removing redundant information and then restoring it during uncompression. Nothing is lost in the process. Now, scientists at ETH Zurich are experimenting with zipping nature’s most efficient data storage medium: DNA.

dna genetics
Credit: Pixabay.

The basic principles behind DNA compression are basically the same as those for the digital counterpart. If an element comes up often in the DNA sequence, it will simply only show up once instead of getting unnecessarily repeated every time. One important area where this can work applies to promoters, which are sections of DNA that regulate how and whether or not a particular gene is read. For instance, if a DNA sequence contains four different genes that all have the same promoter, it will be included only once by the ETH method.

Removing redundancies is one piece of the puzzle. Swiss researchers were also careful to craft assembly rules, familiarly known as ‘compressed encoding’. For instance, after receiving a joint promoter, the four genes in the aforementioned example are equipped with stop sequences and different binding sites for the enzyme that opens, rotates, and reassembles DNA strands. The enzyme, called recombinase, effectively takes on the role of the decompression software. Once reassembled, each of the four genes will receive its own promoter.

Compressing DNA could prove highly useful to transport genetic information into cells where the ‘compressed DNA’ can assemble into functioning genetic code. Such an approach could prove invaluable in certain synthetic biology or biotech applications where scientists face challenges in implanting large amounts of information into cells. You can only load limited amount of DNA into the transport vehicles currently employed for this purpose.

The ETH method allows scientists to implant large ‘genetic programmes’, for lack of a better term, into mammalian cells. Just like a software, these man-made instructions carry out specific tasks within cells in order to achieve a specific goal. For instance, the zipped code can decompress inside a cell to instruct the production of complex substances such as active ingredients for medicines.

In the future, such genetic programmes could carry out some incredibly complex tasks, like as cancer targeting. After detecting cancer (i.e. the marker), the programme could potentially send the necessary instruction to eliminate the tumor cells. Scientists have proven that such an approach works in cell cultures and are experimenting with the method in an animal model.

“Our research is often inspired by computer science and information technology,” explains Kobi Benenson, Head of the Synthetic Biology Group at ETH’s Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering in Basel.

Scientific reference: Genetic programs can be compressed and autonomously decompressed in live cells, Nature Nanotechnology, nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41565-2017-0004-z. 

RelatedPosts

Scientists find missing building blocks of DNA in meteorites
Generosity is probably somewhat genetic
Folding tiny origami bunnies out of DNA and why it’s important
Giant extinct primate is directly related to orangutans
Tags: compressiondnaZip

Share16TweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Health

Herpes Virus Hijacks Human DNA Within Just an Hour of Infection

byTudor Tarita
6 days ago
Genetics

Scientists uncover anti-aging “glue” that naturally repairs damaged DNA

byMihai Andrei
2 weeks ago
Genetics

Scientists Gave a Mouse a Stretch of Human DNA and Its Brain Grew 6% Bigger

byTudor Tarita
1 month ago
Genetics

Scientists Close to Finding Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA Using a 21-Generation Family Tree

byTibi Puiu
1 month ago

Recent news

Buried in a Pot, Preserved by Time: Ancient Egyptian Skeleton Yields First Full Genome

July 3, 2025

AI Helped Decode a 3,000-Year-Old Babylonian Hymn That Describes a City More Welcoming Than You’d Expect

July 3, 2025

Peeling Tape Creates Microlightning Strong Enough To Power Chemistry

July 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.