Mirror life

Mirror life (also called mirror-image life) is a hypothetical form of life with mirror-reflected molecular building blocks. The possibility of mirror life was first discussed by Louis Pasteur. This alternative life form has never been discovered in nature, but efforts to build a mirror-image version of biology's molecular machinery are under way.

In December 2024, a broad coalition of scientists, including leading synthetic biology researchers and Nobel laureates, warned that the creation of mirror life, including mirror bacteria, could cause "unprecedented and irreversible harm" to human health and ecosystems worldwide. Its potential to escape immune defenses and invade natural ecosystems might lead to "pervasive lethal infections in a substantial fraction of plant and animal species, including humans." Given these risks, the scientists concluded that mirror organisms should not be created without compelling evidence of safety.

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