Mirror bacteria, constructed from mirror images of molecules found in nature. Literally, a molecule in nature looks one way, so they make that same molecule but a mirror image. They can't reproduce, they can't grow. They're inert. But some of us have already heard this at the beginning of sci fi movies. The risk, though, comes into play once you make an entire organism of mirror components, it can grow, eat, and compete.
‘Mirror bacteria could not evolve from existing life, but their creation will become increasingly feasible as science advances...’
Some people research them with a possible goal of making new therapeutics. ‘They’re not recognized and degraded by the body, and therefore have the potential to be very longlasting therapeutics. They can potentially grow unchecked.
‘The risks are very serious and the benefits are very modest.’ You can do all the same things with chemical therapeutics.
Normal bacteria is kept in check by a lot of things, including our biology, predators. A mirror organization might avoid all those natural defense mechansms, and could grow unchecked if it found good food.
Timeframe might be 3-5 decades, the guy estimates. Not feasible today, but a good time to talk about it.