We did not initiate our work to falsify the claim in the first place, but to investigate whether there is "something" to the hypothesis that arsenic at least partly substitutes phosphorylated compounds or whether an altered metabolism could be observed in consequence of the presence of arsenic. Automatically disregarding new hypotheses and experimental data does not lead to advancements in science. Note that scientific progress strongly depends on new hypotheses. As scientists, we generate and test new ideas and hypotheses. These hypotheses are then experimentally challenged - this is scientific every days business.The original research by Felisa Wolfe-Simon and colleagues, published online by Science at the Science Express Web site on 2 December 2010, had proposed that GFAJ-1 substitutes arsenic for a small amount of the phosphorus in its DNA and other molecules. If true, such a finding would have important implications for our understanding of life's basic requirements sin!
ce all known forms of life on Earth use six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Arsenic is typically toxic to living organisms, but its chemical properties are similar to those of phosphorus.<br />http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/07/reaction-roundup-critical-arseniclife-studies-released/1
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