Amaseli Abaklami: Ukusebenzisa i-synthetic biology ukuhlela ikhodi yethu yofuzo

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• November 12, 2021

Impumelelo kubhayoloji yokwenziwa ivule indlela yokwakhiwa kwamaseli abaklami, okuthinta imikhakha eminingi kusukela kwezokunakekelwa kwempilo kuya kwezolimo. Lawa maseli anjiniyela, akwazi ukukhiqiza amaprotheni amanoveli, anganikeza ukwelashwa kwezifo okuqondene nomuntu, izitshalo ezikwazi ukuqina, nezixazululo zamandla eziqhubekayo. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kugxuma kwezobuchwepheshe kuletha nezinselele ezinkulu zesimilo nezenhlalo, njengokungalingani kokufinyelela kanye nokuphazamiseka okungenzeka kwezemvelo, okudinga ukulawulwa okucophelelayo komhlaba wonke kanye nenkulumo ecatshangelwayo.

Okuqukethwe kwamaseli omklami

Ososayensi baye bachitha amashumi eminyaka bezama ukwenza ukuphila. Ngo-2016 bakha iseli yokwenziwa kusukela ekuqaleni. Ngeshwa, ingqamuzana lalinezindlela zokukhula ezingalindelekile, okwenza kube nzima kakhulu ukufunda. Kodwa-ke, ngo-2021 ososayensi bakwazile ukukhomba izakhi zofuzo eziyisikhombisa eziholela ekukhuleni kwamaseli okungaguquki. Ukuqonda lezi zakhi zofuzo kubalulekile ukuze ososayensi bakhe amangqamuzana okwenziwa.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, enye intuthuko yesayensi yenze kwaba nokwenzeka ukushintsha amangqamuzana akhona ukuze asebenzise “imisebenzi yomklami.” Empeleni, i-synthetic biology ingenza lawa maseli azuze izimfanelo ezintsha ngokushintsha izindlela zokwenziwa kwamaprotheni. Ukuhlanganiswa kwamaprotheni kubalulekile ekukhuleni nasekuguqulweni kwamangqamuzana. 

I-Symbiogenesis iyitiyori eyamukelwa kakhulu yokuthi amaseli asebenza kanjani namuhla. Umbono uthi lapho amagciwane egilana eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili edlule, amangqamuzana awazange agayeke. Kunalokho, bakha ubuhlobo obuzuzisayo, bakha ingqamuzana le-eukaryotic. Ingqamuzana le-eukaryotic linemishini eyinkimbinkimbi yokwakha amaprotheni engakha noma yimaphi amaprotheni afakwe ocingweni lwezakhi zofuzo zengqamuzana. 

Ososayensi baseJalimane bafake ama-synthetic organelles angakwazi ukuguqula izakhi zofuzo zeseli zibe ikhodi yamaprotheni amasha ngokuphelele. Lokho kusho ukuthi ingqamuzana elinjiniyela manje selingakwazi ukukhiqiza amaprotheni amasha ngaphandle kwezinguquko ekusebenzeni kwawo okujwayelekile.

Umthelela Ophazamisayo

Ukufika kwamangqamuzana abaklami kungashintsha indlela esiphatha ngayo izifo nokuphatha impilo. Amaseli angase aklanyelwe ukukhomba ngokuqondile futhi aqede umdlavuza, noma ukukhiqiza i-insulin kulabo abanesifo sikashukela, ukunciphisa isidingo semithi yangaphandle. Lokhu kungase kubangele ushintsho olukhulu embonini yezemithi, njengoba ukugxila kungase kusuke ekukhiqizeni izidakamizwa kuye ekwakhiweni nasekukhiqizeni amaseli athile. Kubantu ngabanye, lokhu kungasho ukwelashwa komuntu siqu kakhulu futhi okusebenzayo, okungase kube ngcono izinga lempilo nokuphila isikhathi eside.

Ezimbonini ezingaphezu kokunakekelwa kwezempilo, amaseli abaklami angaba nemithelela ejulile. Kwezolimo, izitshalo zingakhiwa ngamangqamuzana amelana kakhulu nezinambuzane noma izimo zezulu ezimbi, ezinciphisa isidingo sezibulala-zinambuzane zamakhemikhali nokwandisa ukulondeka kokudla. Emkhakheni wamandla, amaseli angaklanywa ukuthi aguqule kahle ukukhanya kwelanga kube ama-biofuels, anikeze isisombululo esimeme sezidingo zamandla. Izinkampani ezisebenza kule mikhakha kuzodingeka zizivumelanise nalobu buchwepheshe obusha, okungenzeka budinga amakhono amasha nolwazi, futhi ohulumeni kuzodingeka basungule imithetho ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuphepha kanye nokusetshenziswa kokuziphatha.

Nokho, ukusetshenziswa kabanzi kwamangqamuzana abaklami nakho kuphakamisa imibuzo ebalulekile yezimiso zokuziphatha neyomphakathi okufanele ixazululwe. Ubani ozokwazi ukufinyelela kulobu buchwepheshe? Ingabe zizofinyeleleka kuwo wonke umuntu noma kulabo abakwazi ukukhokha kuphela? Okubaluleke nakakhulu, sizoqinisekisa kanjani ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwamangqamuzana abaklami akuholeli emiphumeleni engahlosiwe, njengezifo ezintsha noma izinkinga zendawo ezungezile? Ohulumeni kungase kudingeke bamise imithetho yomhlaba wonke ukuze baphendule ngendlela efanele le mibuzo.

Imithelela yamaseli abaklami 

Imithelela ebanzi yamaseli abaklami ingase ihlanganise:

• Amangqamuzana omuntu enziwa ukuze avikeleke emiphumeleni yokuguga. 
• Izimboni ezintsha zigxile ekwakhiweni kwamaseli nokukhiqiza, okuholela ekudaleni amathuba emisebenzi kanye nokwanda kokutshalwa kwezimali ku-biotechnology.
• Amaseli abaklami asetshenziselwa ukuhlanza izinto ezingcolisa imvelo, okuholela endaweni ehlanzekile, enempilo.
• Ukukhiqizwa kwezitshalo ezinomsoco kakhulu okunomthelela ekwenzeni ngcono impilo yomphakathi kanye nokunciphisa izindleko zokunakekelwa kwezempilo.
• Ukwakhiwa kwama-biofuels okuholela ekwehleni kokuthembela kwethu kumafutha ezinto ezimbiwa phansi kanye nokukhuthaza ukuzimela kwamandla.
• Ukuphazamiseka okungenzeka kuma-ecosystem okuholela emiphumeleni engalindelekile yezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo.
• Izinkulumo-mpikiswano ezivuselelwe ngezingane zabaklami, zavula imibuzo ngokuziphatha kobunjiniyela babantu "abaphelele" nokuthi lokhu kungenza kube kubi kanjani ukungalingani kwezenhlalo nezomnotho.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Yiziphi ezinye izinhlelo zokusebenza ongazicabanga zamaseli abaklami ezimbonini ezahlukene? 
• Ucabanga ukuthi amangqamuzana abaklami ayasebenza ekuphishekeleni ukungafi?