Described as a “radical departure from known life,” mirror bacteria represent both an exciting scientific challenge and a potential Pandora’s box with risks that could spiral beyond control.

Encoded within this DNA are the directions for traits as diverse as the color of a person's eyes, the scent of a rose, and the way in which bacteria ... were arranged in a spiral shape called ...

This article was originally published with the title “ The Recognition of DNA in Bacteria ” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 222 No. 1 (January 1970), p. 88 doi:10.1038 ...