http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20024450-52.html "In a press conference held at NASA's Washington D.C. headquarters, scientists announced that they had discovered a new form of bacteria, known as GFAJ-1, in California's Mono Lake that has DNA completely foreign to anything ever before found on Earth. It substitutes arsenic at the DNA level for phosphorus."
looks like this is in essence a new variety of DNA. this is a major discovery. still this bacteria is basically DNA-based although they will probably call it something else (Arseno-DNA?).
Fascinating area. It's only a few hours away. Great drive (395 North). The desert, then Whitney Portal, Mammoth, Mono, Yosemite, Tahoe, Reno, Lassen... lots to see.
thanks for the update. after reading some of the critics it does look like the study could end up in the garbage bin. Arseno-DNA may not exist at all. they should have been able to grow enough bacteria to get enough genetic material for direct analysis of DNA. maybe they were in a hurry to publish.
Beautiful, but......is the guy standing on the rock in the second pick taking a whizz in the lake? Sure looks that way. "Beautiful one day......whizzed in the next."