Scientists have long believed that a universal genetic code serves as a blueprint for all life on Earth, dictating the structure and function of organisms from the simplest bacteria to complex humans.

Despite awe-inspiring diversity, nearly every lifeform – from bacteria to blue whales – shares the same genetic code. How and when this code came about has been the subject of much scientific ...

Rule-breaking genome: PL0344 replaces two stop codons with amino acids, defying the near-universal genetic code. Synthetic biology potential: Its stable double reassignment could guide the design of ...