Experts have warned that ‘mirror life’ microbes could present an ‘unprecedented risk’ and a global disaster to life on Earth.
The warning comes from the international group of Nobel laureates and other experts who say the bacteria could cause ‘extraordinary and unprecedented risks’.
Mirror bacteria is constructed from mirror images of molecules found in nature.
The threat is so serious that experts are no longer working towards the goal of studying mirror life.
They have asked funders to make clear they will no longer support the research into mirror life microbes, according to the report and journal Science.
But in better news a viable mirror microbe would take at least a decade to build, the research found.
But Professor Vaughn Cooper warned ‘the threat we’re talking about is unprecedented’.
He said: ‘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 whole point around work towards mirror molecules is it is hoped these can be turned into therapies for chronic and hard-to-treat diseases.
Mirror microbes could make bioproduction facilities, which use bugs to churn out chemicals, more resistant to contamination.
The authors in the journal write about the risks and say: ‘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.
‘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.’
Dr Kate Adamala, co-author of the report, warned: ‘We should not be making mirror life.
‘We have time for the conversation. And that’s what we were trying to do with this paper, to start a global conversation.’
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