By partially rewriting the genetic code in bacteria, two groups of researchers have found they can thwart invading viruses, which must hijack the microbes’ genetic machinery to replicate. … Such recoding might help prevent viral outbreaks in factories that use bacteria to churn out drugs or other products. … The bacteria could also help biologists study the evolution of the genetic code itself, says synthetic biologist Chang Liu, [professor of biomedical engineering] of the University of California, Irvine. Now, researchers can “ask why the genetic code is the way it is.” Read More