" hachi - moji - DNA Built from Eight Building Blocks "
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Potential uses for the new letters, the possibilities are broad. All of nature’s complexity has been created from the 20 amino acids conventional DNA can produce (multiple codons code for the same amino acid). New codons make it possible to code for new amino acids with novel properties, which could enable everything from more powerful medicines and industrial catalysts to more outlandish ideas, like electrically-conducting proteins.
It also has many applications. These include improved diagnostics, alternatives to silicon for information storage (far more durable way to store digital data that could last for centuries), proteins with extra amino acids, and new kinds of drugs. Learn more about the field of synthetic biology here.. |
The structure of a new synthetic DNA molecule (dubbed hachimoji DNA) which uses the four informational ingredients of regular DNA (green, red, blue, yellow) in addition to four new ones two new pairs: S-B & P-Z (cyan, pink, purple, orange). Learn more about DNA Storage here.. and about field of Synthetic Bioloby here..
Image Credit: Indiana University School of Medicine The research was funded by NASA they hope it will help them expand the scope of their search for extraterrestrial life too. |