Mirror life
Science advice note: what are the main risks and opportunities associated with researching and developing ‘mirror life’, including along the pathway of development from cell components to self-replicating cells?
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This note summarises an expert roundtable held in January 2025, discussing the need for a clear distinction between research to develop mirror components (individual molecules such as peptides and enzymes) and mirror organisms or cells (or any biological unit capable of self-replication), even though both are sometimes termed ‘mirror life’.
This distinction has important implications for regulating research without stifling innovation; beneficial scientific and technological advances for therapeutics and novel materials, for example, could cease if all mirror life research was entirely banned.
The note represents the combined views of roundtable participants, and seeks to provide accessible science advice for policymakers. It is not a statement of government policy.