• wizzor@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      17 days ago

      I have actually wondered why this isn’t a thing. You can order a yeast 2.0 sample from a supplier and the relevant DNA strand from a DNA printing company, multiply the DNA and introduce it to the yeast and you’re game.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        17 days ago

        I think it’s the “introduce it to the yeast” part that’s the hard part. But I can’t imagine the types of precautions the people who already have a morphine producing yeast strain (yes some people already invented it) must take. The illicit value of that is like priceless.

        • wizzor@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          17 days ago

          As I understand the process is fairly straightforward - yeast picks up dna from the environment, so the process involves creating a dna strain which includes both the intended change and a marker change, like resistance to something that would normally kill the yeast. Then introduce the dna to the yeast and introduce the poison which will kill the yeast that didn’t pick up the dna.

          Anyway, that’s what I seem to remember from synth bio course from years ago, I might have misunderstood tho.

          • Venator@lemmy.nz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            16 days ago

            The hard part for someone trying to do it in a bathtub would probably be making sure it picks up the dna you’re wanting and not something else randomly from the environment

            • wizzor@sopuli.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              16 days ago

              That’s why you introduce the marker (like resistance to a common antibiotic ) in the same strand, then put antibiotic in the bathtub to kill the rest. Of course its a good idea to wash the tank first…

    • infinite_ass@leminal.space
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      15 days ago

      Let’s maximize that yield. A thousand cultures an a bit of radioactive substance to up the mutation rate. It could be automated.