Phsphorous or Arsenic

SCIENTISTS have always believed that phosphorus is essential to life. But a recent finding, which was reported in Science Express, the early online version of the reputed journal Science, has claimed evidence that would demolish this long-held view. A team of U.S. scientists, led by Felisa Wolfe-Simon of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (and which includes Paul Davies, well-known for his popular science books), has isolated a strain of bacteria called GFAJ-1 from Mono Lake located in eastern California that seems to be able to grow on arsenic – a well-known poison – by incorporating it in its DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and other important biomolecules instead of phosphorus. However, the evidence so far is not absolutely conclusive and some scientists have expressed reservations as well.

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