Auditointein

Auditointein is a fictional class of engineered protein domains imagined in speculative biology and science fiction to couple intein-mediated protein splicing with an integrated auditing module. The term blends audit and intein, signaling a built-in mechanism for recording splicing events to create a traceable output. In this concept, an auditointein would consist of a standard protein intein flanked by exteins, plus an attached auditing module that logs each splicing event in a durable signal or ledger.

Mechanism and structure: In natural inteins, splicing removes the intein and seals the exteins. A hypothetical auditointein would retain this splicing function but add an auditing domain that records events when splicing occurs. The recording could take the form of a fluorescent barcode, a DNA or RNA footprint, or a covalent tag appended to the product. The architecture is envisioned as modular: N-extein, intein, C-extein, and an auditing module that may be inducible or sensor-controlled. Different variants might tailor the sensitivity and type of record kept.

Applications and scope: In theory, auditointeins could enable tamper-evident records in synthetic biology circuits, traceable production of biomolecules, or forensic-like monitoring of metabolic pathways in engineered organisms. They are primarily of interest as a thought experiment, a tool in world-building, or in discussions about data integrity in biology rather than as an established technology.

Limitations and ethics: The concept raises substantial biosafety and biosecurity concerns, including dual-use potential, stability, and ecological impact. It is not part of current scientific practice and is treated as a speculative construct.

See also: intein, protein splicing, synthetic biology, data integrity, biosurveillance.