Vol. 35 No. 2
March-April 2013
DNA: From Structure to Synthesis
The
DNA double helix made up of two antiparallel strands complementary to
each other through specific base pairing of A with T and G with C codes
the key information necessary for synthesis and regulation of all
proteins and enzymes required of functioning of a cell from cell
division to cell differentiation and cell development. The discovery
also gave birth to the fields of molecular and structural biology, which
have been key to the genetic revolution that has resulted in the
development of vital products, ranging from hormones and enzymes to
therapeutic molecules and vaccines. The penultimate achievement stemming
from the discovery of DNA’s structure was the unraveling of the entire
human genome in 2001 and work continues unabated on the genomes of other
organisms. These discoveries have implications for our understanding of
diseases at the molecular level and, thereby, the development of cures.
Some of the most spectacular applications take advantage of the
self-assembling properties of the genetic molecule DNA to make
nonbiological novel generic materials.http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2013/3502/2_caruthers.html
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