TSL Scientists Advise on Plant Risks of "Mirror Bacteria"
International Scientists Call for Caution and Global Conversation on Creation of "Mirror Bacteria"
A group of leading international scientists, including Professor Nick Talbot and Professor Jonathan Jones from The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), is urging the scientific community to engage in a global conversation about the potential creation of "mirror bacteria"—a hypothetical form of life built with biological molecules that are the mirror image of those found in nature.
In a report published on 12 December 2024, the group of 38 authors explain that while the creation of mirror organisms remains theoretical and likely decades away, they could pose significant risks to ecosystems and human health if not carefully managed.
What is mirror life? What are mirror bacteria?
Many biological molecules are asymmetrical, meaning they do not look the same if reflected in a mirror. Just as your left hand is a reflection of your right hand — if you put one hand facing up on top of another, they don’t overlap — a “mirror” molecule is a reflection of a naturally occurring molecule, like proteins or DNA. This property of asymmetrical molecules is known as chirality.
To learn more, watch this great 2 minute Youtube explainer by the Kay Lab at the University of Utah:
Scientists had begun early work toward creating “mirror bacteria”, a relatively simple form of mirror life. While the capability to create such organisms is likely at least a decade or more away, there has been notable progress in recent years.
But in new work published in Science, the researchers found that mirror bacteria could pose significant risks if they were successfully created. As a result, the scientists advocate for proactive discussions among researchers, policymakers, funders, industry, civil society, and the public to ensure the safe development and oversight of this emerging field.
The study, conducted by 38 scientists from nine countries and spanning fields such as immunology, plant pathology, ecology, evolutionary biology, biosecurity, and planetary sciences, highlights the potential risks.
The report calls for careful consideration of these possibilities to ensure that scientific progress is balanced with public safety.
Professor Nick Talbot and Professor Jonathan Jones, both group leaders at The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), were invited to co-author the publication due to their expertise in plant immunity and plant diseases. Their insights highlighted the potential risks mirror bacteria could pose to plant health, agriculture, and biodiversity.
Professor Nick Talbot, who is also the Executive Director of The Sainsbury Laboratory, says:
“It seems very likely that a mirror bacterium would be able to infect some plants. If major food crops were susceptible, the impact would be devastating — alongside the other effects."
Mirror bacteria, if created, could evade immune defenses in humans, animals, and plants, as well as avoid control by natural predators like viruses or other microbes. If such organisms were to proliferate, they could spread uncontrollably across ecosystems, putting agriculture, natural biodiversity, and public health at significant risk.
Plant immune receptors have evolved to recognise specific pathogens at the molecular level, much like a lock and key. If the key fits, the plant immune response is activated. However, a 'mirror' key wouldn't work on the same lock, rendering the plant defenceless against potential 'mirror bacteria'.
Professor Jonathan Jones further emphasised the risks to plant life, saying:
“Any mirror bacteria that are produced would most likely be invisible to plants’ immune receptors. Given the incredible diversity of plant life, mirror bacteria could find a niche and proliferate. Even a very small amount of infection likely couldn’t be reversed and would select for variants that colonize better — and that’s true not just for agricultural plants but wild plants, too. We should think very carefully about what we do next.”
Jonathan reassures that mirror bacteria are not an imminent threat, highlighting this as an example of scientists proactively identifying distant risks. The report aims to spark public discourse early, ensuring well-informed decisions are made in the future.
Nick Talbot adds, "Surfacing these risks now is a clear example of scientists acting responsibly potentially decades before a potential risk arises, and sparking a discussion at an early stage.”
The researchers also clarified that related fields, such as mirror-image DNA and proteins, hold enormous promise for advancing medicine and science. Synthetic cell research, which is distinct from the concept of mirror bacteria, is critical to understanding basic biology and should not be restricted.
Scientists plan to organize a series of global forums to scrutinize their findings and encourage open discussions on the subject among the global research community, policymakers, research funders, civil society, and the public. As a first step, they recommend halting any current efforts toward the creation of mirror bacteria and urge funding agencies to refrain from supporting such work. The researchers also propose reviewing governance frameworks for enabling technologies to ensure they are responsibly managed.
This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to foster collaborative discussions on how to advance scientific innovation while safeguarding ecosystems, public health, and global biodiversity.
Jonathan says, "Before we start losing sleep, it's important to note that the risks from mirror life are not imminent. But based on the early analysis of the authors of this report, we think currently the potential risks greatly outweigh any potential benefits, and that we can refrain from creating mirror bacteria without sacrificing any important scientific research."
"We now want to spark a broader conversation to scrutinize these findings and determine how to avert any such risks.”
For all press inquiries, including requests to speak with authors, please email press@mbdialogues.org
Media coverage featuring TSL authors
Nick Talbot interviewed by Channel 4 (video)
Nick Talbot quoted by Daily Mail (article)
Jonathan Jones interviewed by CNN (article)
Jonathan Jones interviewed by New York Times (article)
Jonathan Jones interviewed by CBC As it Happens (radio) starts at 1h09min
