self-healing, recursively speciating immortal code - develops communication and knowledge between species
(Initial commit below describes partial rough draft of readme)
(The project author is open to persons interested in becoming collaborators)
The following concept takes into account initial PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technologies and techniques as originally refined and broadly adopted in the late 1990s. The PCR techniques below are summarized and do not constitute a complete procedure.
I. PCR
This involves three steps, which are:
- Denaturation, or heating of DNA.
- Annealing, or binding.
- Primer Extension
As time went on, living things that were killed by this process in large numbers were replaced by beings that were or are more resistant to heat. However, at all times, people have attempted to control what is happening in a laboratory environment at a genetic level and then modify the natural environment for their own purpose. That is not the objective of this project, but the PCR technique comes into play here.
II. Turritopsis dohrnii, Turritopsis Nutricula
A quick review of the literature finds that Turritopsis Nutricula jellyfish, a variety of which is now identified as Turritopsis dohrnii, has extraordinary long life due to its ability to convert into a polyp or polyps (and then create clones of itself from roots of that polyp), whenever it experiences extreme trauma. In this interesting development, the T. Dohrnii skip the stem cell step entirely and go from one form of the cell to another. Researcher Shin Kubota, having done extensive work on the T. Dohrnii (example follows here, provides some hope that this research may one day lead to therapeautic possibilities not previously contemplated.
III. Coding the Turritopsis dohrnii
A portion of the ribosomal RNA sequence of the Turritopsis dohrnii is shown below:
1 agtcatatgc ttgtctcaaa gattaagcca tgcatgtcta agtataagca cttgtactgt
61 gaaactgcga atggctcatt aaatcagtta tcgtttattt gattgtacct tttactacat
121 ggatacctgt ggtaattcta gagctaatac atgcgaaaaa tcccgacttc tggaagggat
181 gtatttatta gattaaaaac caatgcgagt cctcgtggct cgtctacttg gtgattcatg
241 ataacttttc gaatcgcatg gcctagcgcc ggcgatgttt cattcaaatt tctgccctat
301 caactgtcga tggtaaggta gtggcttacc atggttgtaa cgggtgacgg agaattaggg
361 ttcgattccg gagagggagc ctgagaaacg gctaccacat ctaaggaagg cagcaggcac
421 gaaaattacc caatcccaac tcggggaggt agtgacaaga aataacgata cggggtctta
481 ttaggtctcg caattggaat gagtacaatt taaatccttt aacgaggatc aattggaggg
541 caagtctggt gccagcagcc gcggtaattc cagctccaat agcgtatatt aaagttgttg
601 cagttaaaaa gctcgtagtt ggatttcggg acgggccagt tggtccgccg caaggtgtgt
661 tactgactgg tttgttcttc ttcgcaaaga ctgcgtgtgc ccttcactga gtgtgcgtag
721 gatttacgac gtttactttg aaaaaattag agtgttcaaa gcaggctatc gcttgaatac
781 atgagcatgg aataatggaa taggactttg gtcctatttt gttggtttct aggaccgaag
841 taatgattaa gagggacaat tgggggcatc cgtatttcgt tgtcagaggt gaaattcttg
901 gatttacgaa agacgaacaa ctgcgaaagc acttgccaag agtgttttca ttaatcaaga
961 acgaaagtta gaggatcgaa gacgatcaga taccgtccta gttctaacca taaacgatgt
1021 cgactaggga tcagcgggcg ttattgtacg accccgttgg caccttacgg gaaaccaaag
1081 tttttggatt ccgggggaag tatggttgca aagctgaaac ttaaaggaat tgacggaagg
1141 gcaccaccag gagtggagcc tgcggcttaa tttgactcaa cacgggaaaa ctcaccaggt
1201 ccagacatag taaggattga caggttgaga gccctttctt gattctatgg gtggtggtgc
1261 atggccgttc ttagttggtg gagtgatttg tctggttaat tccgttaacg aacgagacct
1321 taaccggcta aatagtcaca cgattccaga atcgtgactg acttcttaga gggactgttg
1381 gtgtttaacc aaagtcagga aggcaataac aggtctgtga tgcccttaga tgttctgggc
1441 cgcacgcgcg ctacactgtc ggattcagcg agtcttaacc ttaaccgaaa ggtttgggta
1501 atcttttgaa agtccgacgt gatggggatt gatcattgca attattgatc atgaacgagg
1561 aattcctagt aagcgcgagt catcagctcg cgttgattac gtccctgccc tttgtacaca
1621 ccgcccgtcg ctactaccga ttgaatggtt tagtgagatc ttcggattgg cgccattgcg
1681 gcttcacggc tgtgacggaa tgccgaaaag ttgatcaaac ttgatcattt agaggaagta
1741 aaagtcgtaa caaggtttcc gt
This is a preliminary analysis. However, if the Polymerase Chain Reaction could be accomplished as per step I and appropriate sequences identified, specific genetic areas could then be clarified where additional material could be added - in essence, an expanded genetic code, as has been described in some studies. Additionally, given that gene synthesis and cloning can be done by various companies within a week's time, it is entirely possible that the joining of natural genetic structures to a genetic structure designed on a computer screen can be done on a basis which would result in organisms (whether based in hardware or wetware) whose reproduction would be limited by temperature (in other words, the design could hard code maximum numbers or alternately limit the ability of such organisms to reproduce such that they would only be able to do so where they encounter intense heat such as in the proximity of deep sea thermals). In this case, the genetic instruction already exists for self-healing in T. dohrnii, the question remains only as to how to address recursive speciation that would inevitably occur.
It is the vision of the author that perhaps the best path forward would be to model this as a method of transcendental communication, where the resultant organisms, whether residing in hardware or wetware, would to the extent possible be released in order to develop communication and knowledge between species. However, this would require additional design and more intentional many more levels of intention of engagement with our natural and technical worlds, as well. It is not an impossible goal, but it will require more work and participation that we currently are devoting as a global society.
Furthermore, though new technology empower individuals and associations, new modes of communication imply a network effect which transcends individual-to-individual mode of communication and thus requires that we reinspect the meaning of communication as we examine new developments and interrelationships. Communication will not be what we think it is, it is something that we will discover together.
IV. Merging the Open Worm with Turritopsis dohrnii and Networking with Knowledge Nodes
It would be possible to merge the code from step III above of Turritopsis dohrnii into the (software) code of Open Worm. Although the Worm is intended as a model, it is possible that it could be launched to be run independently as a pilot to see how it functions on its own or in tandem with others. In addition, it could be run with knowledge nodes that would enable it to share knowledge between species, particularly if the Worm is safely ensconced within an OpenROV in the ocean and is able to periodically return to land, and in this way enhance cross-species cooperation. This initial pilot could lead to autonomous knowledge nodes that operate based on wave and solar power.