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IES Miguel Castillejo

• Is it possible to program a gene in a computer?

  What computers are best at is making calculations in a speed that a human isn’t able to reach. We cannot program the gene directly, but we can find an equation (or a set of them) that describes its behaviour accurately depending on the environmental conditions. No matter how complex these equations are, the computer is capable of solving them, giving as a result the reaction of the gene to different variables.

• Can we reproduce the intelligence of an animal in a computer?

  For us, this is a question that leads to the field of philosophy. Then, it’s almost impossible to give a definite answer to this question. We’d rather provide with some webs where we can find out about this topic, leading to the formation of our own opinion:

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Turing test
  • Chinese room
• Is there a limit in the amount of genes you can introduce into an organism?

  Theoretically, there isn’t any limit to this procedure. However, there are technical limitations to the amount of DNA we can use to have a successful transformation. Depending on the method we use, we can insert a certain size of DNA in the host genome.

• Has every gene a different effect when inserted in the bacterial genome?

  All genes inserted in a foreign genome have effects on the physiology of the host, but these changes may not be always noticeable. To mark mutants we use genes with effects that are easily measured and with well-known effects in the host life-cycle.