DNA backup

[sobrique]

So, DNA - it sort of degrades as you age, and that's mostly why you get old and die, and is a cause of cancer and stuff.

So... how difficult is it to make a copy of it, like 'right now' for the sake of say - future organ cloning?
If you could replace failing body parts with 'you aged 20' would you have a substantial improvement on quality of life?

And give that, does it make sense to take backups _now_ despite not necessarily being able to make use of them? Such as exhaustive DNA sequencing, and saving a copy in an archive somewhere, in the hope that in 30 years time, you'll be able to 'load' it, and grow a heart transplant or similar.

And even if this is utter hokey nonsense, does it sound plausible enough that someone is already running it as a scam?

Comments

[forest-rose.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I was half asleep when I wrote this - I was referring to Queex's ponderings about keeping a cell with a large telomere which. But, re-reading, I think he meant a normal, complete telomere rather than an extra-long one which would give the opportunity for more mutations, so I take back my warnings of doom.

DNA! Get choor DNA! Now with extra telomeres!

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha. Yes, an extra-long telomere wouldn't help.