Dec. 12, 2024
Flagging the Risks of 'Mirror Bacteria'
Vaughn Cooper and Tim Hand joined a global team of researchers to publish a study in Science warning of the potential dangers posed by mirror bacteria—synthetic organisms with reversed molecular chirality.
TOPICS: Life Sciences | School of Medicine
Designs on Aging-Ready
By Andrew Michael Doerfler
Vaughn Cooper, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, and Tim Hand, associate professor of pediatrics and of immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, are part of a global team that published findings in Science on the risks of mirror bacteria—synthetic organisms with reversed chirality.
Though creating mirror bacteria is likely a decade away, recent progress has prompted concern. The paper warns these organisms could pose catastrophic risks to human, animal, plant and environmental health. The authors urge scientists, policymakers and stakeholders to engage in broad discussions to understand and mitigate these risks.
“This form of life has never existed or evolved,” Cooper said. “Consequently, all biological interactions would be different or likely wouldn’t work. A synthesized mirrored microbe wouldn’t just be just essentially invisible to animals and likely plants but also other microbes, including viruses that could attack and kill it.”
Cooper and Hand collaborated with 36 other experts from fields including immunology, ecology, evolutionary biology and planetary sciences. Their Science article is accompanied by a 300-page technical report.
“There is some exciting science that will be born because of these technologies that we want to facilitate. We don’t want to limit that promise of synthetic biology, but building a mirror bacterium is not worth the risk.”
Vaughn Cooper, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics
While no immediate threat exists, the paper finds that mirror bacteria could impair immune recognition. Immune systems rely on identifying molecular shapes in bacteria; mirrored shapes could prevent recognition, leaving organisms vulnerable to infection.
Environmental risks are also significant. Mirror bacteria might evade natural predators like phages and protists, which depend on chirality to regulate bacterial populations. Spread via animals and humans could introduce these organisms into diverse ecosystems, creating persistent infection risks and threatening global ecological balance.
The authors recommend further scrutiny and conclude that, unless strong evidence proves safety, mirror bacteria should not be created. Some coauthors previously viewed their creation as a long-term goal.
“It would require enormous effort to build such an organism,” Cooper said. “But we must stop that progress and have an organized, inclusive dialogue about how to effectively govern this. There is some exciting science that will be born because of these technologies that we want to facilitate. We don’t want to limit that promise of synthetic biology, but building a mirror bacterium is not worth the risk.”