Many have heard about
DNA, but how many actually know what DNA is. The article “Synthetic XNA molecules can evolve and store genetic
information, just like DNA” by Ed Yong is the
article upon which this journal is written about. This article describes
the ongoing studies of XNA and compares it to DNA quite often. DNA is one of the types of molecules which
carry genetic information, this is what causes living organisms to look the way
they are and what make you look different from I. RNA is another type of
genetic molecules which have been around for a while but just recently in 2012,
a breakthrough in science may have been discovered, the discovery of XNA.
Genetic molecules contain hereditary information which can be passed down for
generations. Today, “synthetic genetics” is something that exists, this
includes XNA molecules which include six different types of hereditary
molecules, they differ from DNA and RNA as their molecules contain different
sugars. XNA which abbreviates Xeno Nucleic acid is not a naturally occurring
molecule hence it being called synthetic.
This article
focuses a lot on Vitor Pinheiro and how he experimented with XNAs. Through his
work he figured out how to convert DNA information into an XNA molecule and
vice versa. The most focussed on scientist in this article is Vitor Pinheiro,
possibly leading the reader to believe he is who had done the majority of the
work in discovering XNAs. However, in two other articles (“Synthetic heredity
molecules emulate DNA” and “Move over DNA: Six new molecules can carry genes”)
he is hardly mentioned, only being mentioned in one of the aforementioned
articles. Dr. Phillip Holliger who Pinheiro works under is the man who the
other articles discuss.
Doctor Phillip
Holliger who works at a molecular lab in the UK is the one who spearheaded this
discovery of XNA molecules. Holliger even has thoughts of there being another
world with life forms based off XNA. “We haven’t gone very far from standard DNA chemistry, but the
XNAs already have strikingly different properties,” says Holliger. Holliger
realizes this is just the beginning of a new discovery as there are other labs
in countries such as the U.S. examining these new molecules also.
I initially
found out about the topic on a science website listing the biggest events in
science of 2012. The ability of the newly discovered XNA molecules to copy
genetic information is what caught my attention and led me to do further
research. Previously I did not know exactly what DNA was but through
researching about XNA molecules I found out they are both molecules containing
different types of sugar. I also learned that RNA is another naturally
occurring molecule with the ability to store hereditary information. I always
had an interest and wondered how the offspring of organisms resemble their
ancestors, and thanks to research about XNA I now have a better understanding.
A question I
have is, can XNAs be placed in human cells? , because with the rate that
science is going at, many things that once seemed impossible are now quite
possible. The follow up question to this is could XNAs be the answer to genetic
cloning? Currently only DNA and RNA are known to contain genetic information in
living organisms, maybe scientists will figure out a way to create a species
based entirely on XNA molecules. If these XNA molecules could evolve and
reproduce on their own, it would be a very big break in the history of science.
One of the problems scientists will face if they start working with XNA mostly
instead of DNA is they will have to tweak many of their tools and equipment, and
make many changes in their techniques.
Sources Used
Synthetic heredity molecules emulate DNA-
Synthetic genetic
material, XNA, can replicate and evolve-
Synthetic XNA
molecules can evolve and store genetic information, just like DNA-
Move over DNA: Six new molecules can carry genes-
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