Scientists Discover Microscopic Organism With Unique Genetic Code Variant

Scientists testing a new DNA sequencing method accidentally discovered a microscopic organism with an unprecedented genetic code, ScienceDaily reported. The researchers found the previously unknown protist in a freshwater pond located at Oxford University. [1]

According to ScienceDaily, the organism breaks a genetic rule that researchers previously believed was nearly universal. In typical organisms, specific genetic signals mark the end of a gene, but this creature uses two standard stop signals to encode entirely different instructions. [1]

Genetics is the scientific study of genes, heredity, and genetic variation in living organisms, 19th-century scientist Gregor Mendel first studied trait inheritance scientifically by observing how discrete units of inheritance were passed down through generations. [2]

ScienceDaily noted that the discovery began as a routine laboratory experiment involving the newly isolated pond creature, revealing that it interprets DNA instructions in ways scientists had not seen before. [1]