Synthetic DNA Created, Evolves on Its Own
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Nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA are composed of four bases—A, G, C, and T. Attached to the bases are sugars and phosphates
First, researchers made XNA building blocks to six different genetic systems by replacing the natural sugar component of DNA with one of six different polymers, synthetic chemical compounds.
The team—led by Vitor Pinheiro of the U.K.'s Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology—then evolved enzymes, called polymerases, that can make XNA from DNA, and others that can change XNA back into DNA.
This copying and translating ability allowed for genetic sequences to be copied and passed down again and again—artificial heredity.
Last, the team determined that HNA, one of the six XNA polymers, could respond to selective pressure in a test tube.
As would be expected for DNA, the stressed HNA evolved into different forms.
This shows that "beyond heredity, specific XNAs have the capacity for Darwinian evolution," according to the study, published tomorrow in the journal Science
Read Darwin's Legacy"Thus, heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life, are not limited to DNA and RNA."
XNA Could Demystify Origins of Life?
All of XNA'S actions are "completely controlled by experimentalists—it's 100 percent unnatural," study co-author Chaput noted.
But such control means that scientists can "use [XNA] to ask very basic questions in biology," such as about the origins of life, Chaput said.
For instance, "it's possible that life didn't begin with DNA and proteins like we see today—it may have begun with something much, much simpler," he said.
A scientist could potentially evolve XNA to discover various functions that would have been important for early life.
Overall, he said, the new discovery is "pretty cool—and very powerful.
Read More: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/04/12...
Top Opinion
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SovereignX 2012/04/25 00:21:28Hail Science!
"Genetic information storage and processing rely on just two polymers, DNA and RNA, yet whether their role reflects evolutionary history or fundamental functional constraints is currently unknown. With the use of polymerase evolution and design, we show that genetic information can be stored in and recovered from six alternative genetic polymers based on simple nucleic acid architectures not found in nature [xeno-nucleic acids (XNAs)]. We also select XNA aptamers, which bind their targets with high affinity and specificity, demonstrating that beyond heredity, specific XNAs have the capacity for Darwinian evolution and folding into defined structures. Thus, heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life, are not limited to DNA and RNA but are likely to be emergent properties of polymers capable of information storage."
https://www.sciencemag.org/co...
1. The synthetic DNA just mimics DNA by creating a structure which can house it, which is based on alternative polymers: They are just storing DNA in different forms; the information is still DNA.
2. The synthetic DNA "evolves" by them artificially creating the environment for that behavior: this hardl...
"Genetic information storage and processing rely on just two polymers, DNA and RNA, yet whether their role reflects evolutionary history or fundamental functional constraints is currently unknown. With the use of polymerase evolution and design, we show that genetic information can be stored in and recovered from six alternative genetic polymers based on simple nucleic acid architectures not found in nature [xeno-nucleic acids (XNAs)]. We also select XNA aptamers, which bind their targets with high affinity and specificity, demonstrating that beyond heredity, specific XNAs have the capacity for Darwinian evolution and folding into defined structures. Thus, heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life, are not limited to DNA and RNA but are likely to be emergent properties of polymers capable of information storage."
https://www.sciencemag.org/co...
1. The synthetic DNA just mimics DNA by creating a structure which can house it, which is based on alternative polymers: They are just storing DNA in different forms; the information is still DNA.
2. The synthetic DNA "evolves" by them artificially creating the environment for that behavior: this hardly confirms evolution of nature. They are simply creating an alternative architecture that can store information that is copied from DNA, and then subjecting that synthetic DNA to circumstances which will allow it to change: seems they are exaggerating their research to fit a desired outcome.
3. We can already store DNA information in computers, therefore, why does it surprise anyone that, that information can be stored through other organic means? Stored might I add, through the complexity of science, not through natural "evolution". Moreover, trying to link such a creation to the idea that life could "evolve" in such a way on it's own, when such science needed to create such an achievement is akin to the artificiality of computers is absurd to me.
4. In any event, this does archive one thing, it furthers the understanding of how DNA operates and can be changed through controlled situations.
Well, I thought I would throw in my two cents. Take care,
Magnetic field of the monopole penetrates radially into the bulk chiral superconductor along the lines of the l̂ vector field. Nexus insurrection of monopole quantized topology not exonerate dirac string(absorbed and radial flux of dirac string)
Magnetic field of the monopole penetrates radially into the bulk chiral superconductor along the lines of the l̂ vector field. Nexus insurrection of monopole quantized topology not exonerate dirac string(absorbed and radial flux of dirac string)
they can use this science to cure all diseases Genetic and rewrite virus dna to attack other viruses like use Cancer Cells to Attack and Destroy HIV and cure Genetic Diseases and many other problems
https://www.sciencemag.org/co...
1. The synthetic DNA just mimics DNA by creating a structure which can house it, which is based on alternative polymers: They are just storing DNA in different forms; the information is still DNA.
2. The synthetic DNA "evolves" by them artificially creating the environment for that behavior: this hardly confirms evolution of nature. They are simply creating an alternative architecture that can store information that is copied from DN...
https://www.sciencemag.org/co...
1. The synthetic DNA just mimics DNA by creating a structure which can house it, which is based on alternative polymers: They are just storing DNA in different forms; the information is still DNA.
2. The synthetic DNA "evolves" by them artificially creating the environment for that behavior: this hardly confirms evolution of nature. They are simply creating an alternative architecture that can store information that is copied from DNA, and then subjecting that synthetic DNA to circumstances which will allow it to change: seems they are exaggerating their research to fit a desired outcome.
3. We can already store DNA information in computers, therefore, why does it surprise anyone that, that information can be stored through other organic means? Stored might I add, through the complexity of science, not through natural "evolution". Moreover, trying to link such a creation to the idea that life could "evolve" in such a way on it's own, when such science needed to create such an achievement is akin to the artificiality of computers is absurd to me.
4. In any event, this does archive one thing, it furthers the understanding of how DNA operates and can be changed through controlled situations.
Well, I thought I would throw in my two cents. Take care,