Minimal cell concept shows life's complexity

A group of scientists has seen first-hand the complexity of life.

In a study published on Science, a group of more than 20 scientists said they demonstrated in 1999 that there are many genes that are not essential for growth in a laboratory environment, thus they surmised that a minimal cell, a simpler model than a natural cell, can be produced.

"We set out to define a minimal cellular genome experimentally by designing and building one, then testing it for viability. Our goal is a cell so simple that we can determine the molecular and biological function of every gene," says the study.

They proceeded to create a bare-bones bacterial genome, having only genes that they deemed are essential for growth. After numerous procedures and testing, they discovered that even the concept of a minimal cell is not as simple as one might imagine.

"The minimal cell concept appears simple at first glance but becomes more complex upon close inspection," the paper says.

The minimal genome that they came up with was composed of 473 genes, almost double what they expected initially at 256 genes. It is composed of essential, non-essential and quasi-essential genes. The latter, according to the scientists, is not critical for viability but is needed for robust growth. Moreover, there are 149 genes whose functions are still unknown, which suggests that there are yet undiscovered functions neccessary for life.

"We've discovered that we don't know a third of the basic knowledge of life," said genomics pioneer Craig Venter in an interview with The Atlantic. "We expected that maybe 5 percent of the genes would be of unknown function. We weren't ready for 30 percent. I would have lost a very big bet." 

Ann Gauger of Evolution News wrote that what the scientists discovered is evidence of intelligent design, something that is not possible without a designer.