Congratulations, you've just demonstrated chirality.
The Chirality of Life
Chiral objects are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. Chirality (ky-RAL-ih-tee) is not simply a feature of limbs; it is a trait shared by the molecular building blocks of life-from DNA to sugars to proteins. It dictates how molecules and, in turn, cells, operate and engage with each other and their environments. For example, chirality influences the way immune cells recognize molecules (i.e., antigens) on the surfaces of microbes, like a key fitting into a lock.
"Every time you have any spatial interactions between things that are not completely squishy, the orientation of the binding partners is crucial for them to interact with each other," explained Kate Adamala, Ph.D., an associate professor of genetics, cell biology and development at the University of Minnesota. "It would be difficult to imagine evolution of any effective biological binding if there wasn't this pre-agreed [upon] system of chirality."
Each biological molecule generally exists in a single configuration. However, scientists are increasingly able to generate mirror versions of those molecules in the lab, some of which have practical purposes. For instance, whereas natural-chiral molecules are subject to speedy degradation by cellular enzymes, their mirrors are not, prompting researchers to explore how to use these mirror molecules (e.g., peptides) as therapeutics that last longer in the body.
Such innovation paves the way for a new possibility: mirror organisms, comprised entirely of molecules with the opposite configuration to life as we know it-and bacteria represent a key first target. Generating mirror bacteria is not currently possible and wouldn't be for at least a decade, if not longer, according to Adamala and her co-authors of an extensive technical report assessing the feasibility and potential risks of building mirror bacteria. Instead, the scientists ultimately conclude that mirror bacteria are best left in the realm of possibility.
