Carl Zimmer

Now, if you want to make mirror insulin, there's no cellular factory around that you can use to make those molecules. You have to make them by hand, basically.

I mean, no one has ever seen a mirror cell. Ever. As far as biologists can tell, the chemistry should all work in the mirror.

I mean, no one has ever seen a mirror cell. Ever. As far as biologists can tell, the chemistry should all work in the mirror.

I mean, no one has ever seen a mirror cell. Ever. As far as biologists can tell, the chemistry should all work in the mirror.

And that worries some scientists.

And that worries some scientists.

And that worries some scientists.

They could potentially create a kind of a pandemic that's almost like science fiction. It would potentially be a total catastrophe, not just for humans, but for maybe all animals and maybe all plants and maybe all ecosystems.

They could potentially create a kind of a pandemic that's almost like science fiction. It would potentially be a total catastrophe, not just for humans, but for maybe all animals and maybe all plants and maybe all ecosystems.

They could potentially create a kind of a pandemic that's almost like science fiction. It would potentially be a total catastrophe, not just for humans, but for maybe all animals and maybe all plants and maybe all ecosystems.

Their big worry is that scientists would create a mirror cell. One of these cells gets out. Maybe it actually just infects someone working in the lab. It gets into their bodies. it's possible that even though it's a mirror cell, it may be able to find some food inside of our bodies and so that it can actually feed and grow.

Their big worry is that scientists would create a mirror cell. One of these cells gets out. Maybe it actually just infects someone working in the lab. It gets into their bodies. it's possible that even though it's a mirror cell, it may be able to find some food inside of our bodies and so that it can actually feed and grow.

Their big worry is that scientists would create a mirror cell. One of these cells gets out. Maybe it actually just infects someone working in the lab. It gets into their bodies. it's possible that even though it's a mirror cell, it may be able to find some food inside of our bodies and so that it can actually feed and grow.

You would start to have this mirror cell slowly dividing inside of your body. So you can sort of imagine it as kind of like a slow-moving infection. Problem is that our immune systems are evolved to recognize life on our side of the mirror. And if they're coming up against cells that have proteins that are twisting the other way, it's as if these cells are invisible.

You would start to have this mirror cell slowly dividing inside of your body. So you can sort of imagine it as kind of like a slow-moving infection. Problem is that our immune systems are evolved to recognize life on our side of the mirror. And if they're coming up against cells that have proteins that are twisting the other way, it's as if these cells are invisible.

You would start to have this mirror cell slowly dividing inside of your body. So you can sort of imagine it as kind of like a slow-moving infection. Problem is that our immune systems are evolved to recognize life on our side of the mirror. And if they're coming up against cells that have proteins that are twisting the other way, it's as if these cells are invisible.

So these mirror cells would just keep growing and growing and growing and growing until they kill the first person they infect. And then all of a sudden you have this person just rife with these mirror cells. They infect other people. And on and on and on, you have this uncontrollable pandemic.

So these mirror cells would just keep growing and growing and growing and growing until they kill the first person they infect. And then all of a sudden you have this person just rife with these mirror cells. They infect other people. And on and on and on, you have this uncontrollable pandemic.

So these mirror cells would just keep growing and growing and growing and growing until they kill the first person they infect. And then all of a sudden you have this person just rife with these mirror cells. They infect other people. And on and on and on, you have this uncontrollable pandemic.

Basically, if the scientists are right, any species that might be vulnerable to microbes and infections could be totally helpless against a mirror cell. So plants get lots of infections. Lots of bacteria get into them. And they have all sorts of sophisticated ways of fending harmful bacteria so that they can grow and survive and give us food.