Synthesis of substances that can replace DNA

In the latest issue of the American Journal of Digital Science, researchers from the Molecular Biology Laboratory - the British Medical Research Commission have revealed that they have synthesized a kind of material called XNA, DNA can be replaced in many important functions.

This has great implications for studying the origin of life, even artificial life.

Researchers say XNA can also store DNA-like genetic information. Because the link it uses is also the same base in DNA, so between XNA and DNA sequences can be combined to perform genetic information transmission.

In the experiment, the researchers took a genetic information on DNA sequences into XNA, then passed it on to another DNA sequence, the transmission accuracy of genetic information was quite high, reaching over 95%.

In addition, if some prerequisites are met, part of the XNA polymer compound in vitro can evolve into different forms like DNA.

Head of the research team, Phil Holliger, said the results showed that XNA had two important functions such as DNA, which are genetic and evolutionary.

Artificial XNA is not exactly the same as the molecular structure of DNA, which suggests that DNA is not the only thing that carries the genetic code of life.

The idea is that all living things on Earth use DNA to carry genetic information, because it is the beginning of life on Earth, the number of molecules of the corresponding types in the environment is quite weathered. rich. Moreover in other places in the universe there may exist forms of life with different genetic methods.

This study is also considered an important step in the path of "artificial life" , but some experts say that the use of XNA to artificial genetic information and create an new life, is still a long route to discover.