XNA Nucleic Acid

Gabrielle Rhone
What is it ? -Is a synthetic alternative to the natural
nucleic acids DNA and RNA as it is different in
the sugar backbone

-.The ¨X¨ stands for ¨ẍeno¨ which means

something ¨alien¨.

- Every living thing on Earth uses DNA or RNA

to carry its genetic information for life.

-It can not only store the hereditary

information, but can also serve as enzymes,
and can raise the possibility that life
somewhere else could have been made with
something other than DNA and RNA.

Sources:
Gonzalez, Robbie. “XNA Is Synthetic DNA That's Stronger than the
Real Thing.” io9, io9.Gizmodo.com, 19 Apr. 2012,
io9.gizmodo.com/5903221/meet-xna-the-first-synthetic-dna-that-ev
olves-like-the-real-thing.
 - Philipp Holliger, Alexander Taylor and Vitor
Pinheiro

-They were bigists at the Medical Research

Wh0,Where,and Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in
Cambridge
When discovered it?
-The researchers built DNA molecules from
scratch, but replaced the deoxyribose with six
other kinds of sugar, including hexitol, threose,
and arabinose

-XNA was discovered in the early 2000s

They discovered how to make it the same as

DNA and RNA as of last year

Source: yng, ed. “Synthetic XNA Molecules Can

Evolve and Store Genetic Information, Just like
DNA.” Not Exactly Rocket Science, 19 Apr. 2012
 - XNA has been growing and is having the
possibility to create new life forms, and expand
the evolution systems and not just involving DNA
Effects on Science or RNA.

- This will also show how each of the molecules

have the potential to store genetic
information.

- The nuclei atms are better at speeding up

the chemical reactions.

XNA´s can also help benefit medicine. They

provide products such as enzymes and antibodies
to treat diseases.

Source: Choi, Charles Q. XNA, Synthetic DNA,

Could Lead To New Life Forms, Scientists Say. 19
Apr. 2012,
 -In order to be useful in the origin of life it
also has to be capable in the catalytic
properties. If it is not able to catalyze any
Dangers and reactions it would just be an RNA as the
original replicator.
Drawbacks
-When making unnatural chemicals there are
risks that could change the natural part of
chemistry.

-If XNA began to combine with DNA and RNA

it would show unpredictable results.

Source: Sawyer, Eric. “Synthetic Nucleic Acids:

Beyond DNA and RNA.” Nature News, Nature
Publishing Group, 22 Apr. 2012,