Researchers at the University of Strathclyde and Durham University have proposed a light-based way to distinguish hypothetical “mirror life” from ordinary organisms. The Strathclyde-supplied account published by ScienceDaily says the complete mirror-life assay has not yet been experimentally demonstrated. The researchers describe it as a precaution: mirror life remains hypothetical, not an existing biological threat.
Mirror life would be built from versions of biological molecules with the opposite “handedness” to those found in life on Earth. Handedness, or chirality, describes how molecules can have the same components but different three-dimensional arrangements, much like left and right hands. The proposed method uses fluorescent probes that would attach to structures inside cells. Researchers would analyze the light the probes emit through a phenomenon called circularly polarized luminescence, or CPL, to infer a sample’s molecular handedness. They suggest combining several probes to reduce misleading readings from any one signal.
The researchers believe they could begin exploring the method with ordinary biological samples, without creating mirror organisms. Lewis MacKenzie of the University of Strathclyde argues for developing detection methods in advance because the consequences could be severe if mirror life arose. Robert Pal of Durham University says CPL detection could be adapted for cell-analysis equipment, including plate readers, microscopes and cameras. Further research is needed to determine whether the complete assay can reliably distinguish molecular handedness in biological samples.
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