New life-forms, no DNA required. (Cover story)

• Autores: Ferris Jabr
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 307, Nº. 6, 2012, págs. 36-37
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article discusses synthetic biologist Philipp Holliger's development of xeno nucleic acid (XNA), an artificial version of DNA and RNA that is capable of evolution. Topics include Holliger's substitution of the sugars that form DNA's backbone with molecules such as cyclohexane and threose, the ability of the created XNA to store and transmit genetic information, and the applications of synthetically created XNA-based organisms in medicine, environmental science, and biotechnology.