Many of the building blocks of life, such as nucleic acid and proteins, are asymmetrical. They can exist in one of two possible mirror-image forms, and their mirror images cannot be superimposed on each other. For instance, amino acids are predominantly “left-handed”, while sugars are “right-handed”. This property is known as chirality, and it plays a critical role in the building blocks of life.
However, some scientists are exploring the possibility of life on the other side– mirror life forms- cells with all molecules swapped with their mirror images, but that grow and behave identically to their natural chiral counterparts. Driven by curiosity and plausible applications, scientists have begun working on creating mirror bacteria — an early form of such mirror life.
It may take a decade or more before engineering a living mirror cell that functions with entirely synthetic, mirror-image cellular machinery becomes possible. However, 38 experts spanning synthetic biology, human, plant, and evolutionary physiology, immunology, microbial ecology, planetary life detection, and biosecurity have raised a red flag. In a recent paper, published in Science along with a 299-page technical report, authors warn of the overlooked risks that mirror organisms could pose to existing life forms if they were successfully created.
I was asked to scrutinize this work by another co-author, and it became obvious to me fairly quickly that the spread of mirror bacteria could be an ecological disaster. With no real natural predators or parasites, these bacteria could establish themselves in the environment and proliferate in insects and other animals and could evolve other fitness advantages as they spread, says Deepa Agashe, Professor, National Centre for Biological Sciences.
Immune systems in humans, animals, and plants rely on recognising specific molecular shapes found in bacteria. In mirror bacteria, these molecular shapes would be reversed, potentially impairing immune functions and leaving organisms vulnerable to infections. The analysis of available data suggests that mirror bacteria could escape natural predators like phages and protists, which rely on chirality-based interactions to find bacteria. Reduction in these predator- and parasite- driven population checks could allow mirror bacteria to spread in animal and human populations, across ecosystems, furthering the risk of infections and threatening global ecosystems.
Our immune systems have evolved to tackle natural chirality threats, not mirrored ones. If a person was infected with mirror bacteria, it would likely present as severe immunodeficiency of both your innate and adaptive immune systems — the kind of comprehensive immune system failure that leads to serious illness and death, warns Timothy Hand, Associate Professor in the Departments of Immunology and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.
The authors, some of whom had previously viewed the creation of mirror life as a long-term goal, argue that unless compelling evidence proves otherwise, mirror bacteria should not be created. They caution that the potential risks far outweigh any benefits.
John Glass, Professor and Director of the La Jolla Campus at the J. Craig Venter Institute, who led a team that created the first synthetic, minimal, bacterial cell, adds, “The danger of mirror life is its fundamental difference. Mirror bacteria might be unassailable by the non-mirror world as a consequence of their basic reversed molecular structure. A self-replicating organism built from mirror components — one that’s capable of sustaining itself and multiplying in the wild — would likely be invisible to many of the processes nature has evolved that keep a species in check. It’s vital that we head off those risks before they materialise.” As enabling technologies advance, authors highlight the need for broader scrutiny and careful consideration of the risks of such life forms long before they are created. To address these concerns, the authors call for a global conversation that includes scientists, policymakers, research funders, and other stakeholders.
Kate Adamala, Associate Professor at University of Minnesota, says It’s not often that the scientific community has the opportunity to spot a risk far enough in advance to prevent harm from occurring and to kickstart a genuinely inclusive process to chart a path forward. We now have that chance.
In 2025, some authors will host a series of events, including three at the University of Manchester in the U.K., the Pasteur Institute in France, and the National University of Singapore, to further explore the findings and discuss strategies to mitigate the risks associated with mirror bacteria. "Mirror-image amino acids and peptides have been incorporated into several FDA-approved human therapeutics with a long track record of safety and efficacy in treating human diseases. This therapeutic modality, manufactured with established chemical synthesis techniques, is wholly unrelated and distinct vis-a-vis the current discussion of mirror life”, says Ajay Kshatriya, Chief Executive Officer, Aizen Therapeutics, Inc., who was not associated with the study.
For all press inquiries, including requests to speak with authors, please email press@mbdialogues.org. To view the accompanying technical report and any additional press materials as they become available, see this folder.
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