
Sequence-specific antimicrobials using RNA-guided nucleases - luu
http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n11/full/nbt.3011.html
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noname123
Thanks luu for posting this paper. I have a quick question about "the specific
DNA [sites]" in carbapenem-resistant bacteria that "RNA-guided nucleases
(RGNs) targets".

Would then this involve regular iterations of new designs of this "RNA-guided"
anti-biotics, as newer strands of carbapenem-resistant bacteria evolves and
there are new DNA site variations that the anti-biotic needs to target?
(Otherwise, if the design is not constantly updated, would it only create
evolutionary pressure to select out the current dominant strand of carpaenem-
resistance in favor of potential newer mutations?)

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jobu
It could also be used to target genes for producing toxins (like the verotoxin
produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli). Which would be less of an
uphill battle against selection pressure for antibiotic resistance and still
make the bacteria mostly harmless to humans.

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srunni
The full text can be found here: [http://www.rle.mit.edu/sbg/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/Sequen...](http://www.rle.mit.edu/sbg/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/Sequence-specific-antimicrobials-using-efficiently-
delivered-RNA-guided-nucleases.pdf)

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reasonattlm
This and other unrelated approaches with similar end goals are why I don't
give much credence to the standard issue sky is falling speeches regarding the
end of effective antibiotics. Too many people can't look forward, think in
terms of a stasis of present resources and technologies, and can't see the
possibilities for progress. In this case the research community will soon
enough shift to approaches that bacteria simply can't evolve resistance to
because they selectively target mechanisms and structures that are vital.
That's a theme in cancer research as well these days.

~~~
TeMPOraL
Scientific and technological progress is inherently unpredictable, so betting
on a miraculous discovery coming just in time to save your sorry ass is at
best an unwise course of action. The "sky is falling" speeches are meant to
direct public attention (and funding) to the research that can prevent the
doomsday scenario, and also to discourage people from doing asinine things
(like abuse of antibiotics).

~~~
deciplex
Is there a name for cognitive bias where extremely unfavorable events like the
end of antibiotics, or a permanent technological dark age, or the extinction
of the human race, are dismissed _a priori_ with no justification? Like,
something _so bad_ that _obviously someone_ would do something about it,
without showing that someone really would or, indeed, whether someone even
could.

Somehow, this cognitive bias never manifests when we're talking about
government overreach, in which All Laws I Don't Like Eventually Lead To
Totalitarianism - but antibiotic resistance? Apparently no big deal.

