Chapter 67: Chapter 64: Finally Breaking Through to the 5th Generation!
Four days later.
Biomedical laboratory.
At this moment.
The entire lab was filled with an atmosphere of tension tinged with slight excitement, with members of the research team in lab coats briskly walking back and forth.
Tang Yiqiu, who was already vivacious, aside, even Ren Yongcun, a somewhat introverted and bashful first-year graduate student, occasionally had a look of expectation flash through his eyes.
In fact, the reason for these few "tools" having such intense emotional fluctuations was quite straightforward:
After several days of overtime, the disruptive protein lure bodies previously envisioned by Xu Yun, which could attract male cockroaches to... ahem, had been successfully developed!
The research team had now reached the final and most crucial stage of their project:
To synthesize the lure bodies and the fourth generation Imidacloprid as deduced by Xu Yun, and to test if they can be applied to MC38 cells.
MC38 cells are among the forefronts of current biological research.
They originate from the C57BL/6 mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line, grow adherently, and exhibit fibroblast-like morphology.
When MC38 cells are implanted into C57BL/6 mice or mice with impaired immune functions, they form tumors and metastasize, hence related technologies are often used in research on colorectal cancer occurrence and metastasis and have become a common path for tumor drug efficacy validation.
However, these cells are not exclusive to mice; they are also abundant in cockroaches, dragonflies, and mantises.
They belong to a type of cell with substantial research information in the field of genetic editing.
This is precisely why Xu Yun chose this focal point:
Firstly, it is associated with the sodium ion channels in cockroaches, serving as a critical electrical signal point.
Secondly, there is ample authoritative experimental evidence available, eliminating the need for extensive exploratory research.
While Tang Yiqiu and others were busily engaged elsewhere, Xu Yun stood with Qiu Sheng in the operations room, making final preparations for the practical steps:
"Old Qiu, are you sure you can handle this?
Let me tell you, this round of experiments offers no margin for error; a single mistake means starting over, and there’s no room for trembling hands—by the way, you didn’t tire yourself out last night, right?"
"Don’t worry, the Yamashita Rie I downloaded last week... ah, oops, who mentioned that?"
Qiu Sheng was intently calibrating the equipment. After inadvertently responding halfway, he suddenly realized the slip and shot him a glare:
"Why don’t you, God Xu, handle it? I’ll just take notes on the side?"
Seeing this, Xu Yun chuckled. He and Qiu Sheng were childhood friends, so he naturally knew if the other was truly annoyed.
The saying goes, every profession has its specialists. Qiu Sheng is recognized as the top student in Ke Da for his expertise in guided group auxiliary synthesis, which isn’t Xu Yun’s forte.
The primary reason Xu Yun enlisted Qiu’s help was for this particular phase, so swapping him out was out of the question:
"Just kidding, just kidding, hurry up and tweak the equipment, and let’s get this done quickly.
Oh, and send me that Yamashita Rie program later—a friend of mine, Reader, wants to check it out."
"..."
Material synthesis might not be unfamiliar to many, possibly over-heard.
However, the majority of people only have a surface-level understanding of the term and not in-depth.
For instance, what exactly does a biological laboratory look like, or what the synthesis process entails.
Realistically detailing each step in writing, perhaps less than one percent of those familiar with it could truly articulate it.
Usually, material synthesis is divided into two concepts:
Known and unknown material synthesis.
The process is simple for the former; find intermediates using forward and reverse synthetic analysis methods, which are high school-level concepts.
However, unknown material synthesis is more complex.
If unknown material synthesis involves biological materials, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is inevitable.
Through this reaction, originally minute DNA molecules can be amplified tens to millions of times.
Subsequently, through design, it can extract needed DNA information from minute biological samples, achieving single-cell or even single-molecule sensitivity.
It also allows for designing specific primers to join different DNA fragments, creating new DNA molecules.
On this occasion, Xu Yun and others employed the solid-phase chemical synthesis method, using resin as a solid medium for reaction, attaching nucleic acids or protein molecules being synthesized to it.
Through continuous filtering and replenishment of different raw materials, it sequentially binds different monomers to achieve the target nucleic acid or protein via the desired sequence.
Twenty minutes later.
Preparations were complete, and synthesis officially commenced.
Xu Yun had previously deduced five spatial structures formed by peptide chains, but Qiu Sheng and others were using only one:
A configuration where C=O and N-H in the peptide plane are in trans arrangement, with the peptide plane rotating 27 degrees around Cα-N1.
Another five minutes passed, Xu Yun looked at Qiu Sheng:
"Old Qiu, the biological pathway is validated, and the target cell is locked; shall we proceed to the next step?"
Qiu Sheng asked without lifting his head:
"Are the nucleotide monomers well protected by DMT?"
"Yes, they are."
Qiu Sheng grunted an acknowledgment, trusting Xu Yun deeply.
He then turned his attention to a fixed male cockroach on the operating table, seriously beginning editing using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
CRISPR/Cas9 technology was first proposed in 1987, and in 2012, two female scientists, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, discovered the nucleic-acid-cleaving enzyme action mediated by Cas protein within a bacterial adaptive immune system, earning them the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
Since then, CRISPR/Cas9 has become the mainstream gene-editing system.
Qiu Sheng locked in the contact points as calculated by Xu Yun, targeting the MC38 cells from cockroaches to blast the feedback-driven gender cognition directional fragment to oblivion.
Once shattered, this fragment would affect cockroach gender cognition.
Facilitated by pheromones, they would engage in the previously mentioned A+C behavior.
At this moment.
In the microcosm within this unfortunate cockroach.
It was a vast ’planet’, under a yellow sky, filled with a scene of wickedness:
A round, pathogenic mycoplasma stepped on a piece of cholesterol, tearing it apart with a rip and cackling while devouring the torn remains amid its agonized howls.
Not far away, another pathogen lifted a newly synthesized Ig-like membrane protein overhead, cruelly flinging it off a cliff.
Further out, a Coxsackie virus brandished its double scythes, bisecting a sugar variant...
Farther still...
It was a world without any dawn, lacking fairness, hope, or future.
After the massacre, the mycoplasma sat at the mountain’s base, mechanically chewing the cholesterol.
This action was repeated countless times and would continue until death.
Yet, just as it sought its next target, a mutation suddenly arose.
At an unknown point, a black spot appeared in the previously yellow sky.
Initially minuscule, the black spot tore open a massive gap within just a few thousandths of a millisecond.
Like a torn fabric, it expanded to the farthest reaches of perception.
Before the mycoplasma could react, something akin to an anchor shot out from the breach, rapidly heading toward a floating segment in mid-air.
In no time.
The anchor precisely snagged the segment, pulling it from this world faster than it arrived.
Never having witnessed such an event, the mycoplasma stood gaping at the scene before it.
Just about to call its companions, an air-rending sound echoed in its ears.
Reflexively, it lifted its head to look toward the sky.
Lo and behold, from the breach covering the heavens, multitudinous, searing C1galt1c1 probes descended with fervor and justice, upon this world.
"Gah?"
The pathogenic mycoplasma let out an inexplicable screech before being crushed to bits by the descending probes.
Not just it, though.
At this moment.
All the evils of this world were subjected to retribution from an external judgment.
In no time, this wicked world was enveloped in flames, ushering in its demise.
Several minutes later, in the macro world.
Following a series of changes in the micro domain, the experimental cockroach, once returned to the ecological box, suddenly spread its wings.
With a few flaps, it rushed straight toward a male cockroach...