Say, in the context of finding microbial life on Mars (i.e., organisms that evolved from the start with six nucleotides, not just taking current terrestrial organisms and swapping out the nucleic acids and ribosomes).
Say, in the context of finding microbial life on Mars (i.e., organisms that evolved from the start with six nucleotides, not just taking current terrestrial organisms and swapping out the nucleic acids and ribosomes).
You seem to suggest a shorter genome is in all cases desirable. It certainly isn’t in e.g. higher organisms. With the gene as the corner stone of evolution, shorter genes are probably more advantageous.
Not shorter in the sense of less information—shorter in the sense of encoding the same proteins using fewer base pairs.