From Millenniumproblems · The Twelve Problems · · 1m
Millennium Problems for Biology
12 biology challenges to solve.
In brief
12 biology challenges to solve. Scientists aim to create self-replicating cells, regrow mouse limbs, and engineer enzymes for medical breakthroughs. Originally reported by Millenniumproblems.
Origins of life
Demonstrate self-replicating cells from chemical precursors.
“unassisted emergence of self replicating RNA and protein based cells”
Cryopreservation
Recover live wild-type mice after 24 hours frozen.
“reversible cryopreservation of live intact wild type adult mice”
Reverse translatase
Create enzyme that converts peptides to RNA or DNA.
“reverse translate arbitrary peptide sequences into RNA or DNA”
Improve Rubisco
Engineer Rubisco for better carbon dioxide specificity.
“Rubisco with higher specificity for carbon dioxide over oxygen”
Quadruplet cell
Build cell using four-base codon genetic code.
“living cell with four base codon code for proteins”
Somatic limb regeneration
Regrow mouse limbs after amputation.
“reproducible ability to regrow lost mouse limbs”
Bacterial gene therapies
Produce gene therapies in bacteria.
“infectious replication incompetent AAV and lentivirus in bacteria”
Programmable proteases
Design enzymes to cut specific protein sequences.
“proteases that cleave specific protein sequences efficiently”
Cell-penetrating binders
Create proteins that target intracellular proteins.
“zero-shot protein binders for intracellular targets”
Protein amplification
Amplify peptides without nucleic acid templates.
“exponential amplification of arbitrary peptide substrates”
5 Polymerases
Build 5' acting polymerases.
“complete set of 3 prime to 5 prime polymerases”
New nitrogenases
Create nitrogenase without natural homology.
“nitrogenase converting nitrogen to ammonia without natural similarity”
At a glance
Scientists aim to create self-replicating cells, regrow mouse limbs, and engineer enzymes for medical breakthroughs.
