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A big week for DNA

by Josef Kafka

Scientists from North Carolina State University in the USA have been discussing the implications of work that they have been carrying out into controlling, shaping and even fixing DNA. The researchers used computer models to map out the ways in which gold nano particles could be able to affect the structures of both DNA and RNA.

While DNA is the main constituent of our chromosomes and carries much of humans' genetic material, RNA is something called a nucleic acid which carries out the function of messenger in living cells, carrying instructions given by DNA regarding the synthesis of proteins; in some viruses, DNA doesn't carry genetic material, RNA does.

These studies have the potential to shed light on new ways to manipulate genetic material; it could also provide insight into things like new drug delivery technologies which may be able to increase the efficiency of existing treatments and provide the potential for entirely new ones.

Researcher Jessica Nash said that the crux of the research was that it may be possible to shape DNA by wrapping it around a protein with a positive charge called a charged gold nano particle; in nature, DNA is wrapped around a protein with a positive charge called a histone. By changing the charge of the particle, it could be possible to change the curvature of DNA and RNA, providing an opportunity to fundamentally change their structure.

All of the research was undertaken using computational models and it's groundbreaking in more ways than one; it is proof of how far materials science has come in terms of using simulations to be able to anticipate how different things will react, without ever having to dissect an animal or lay hands on a microscope – or even set foot in a traditional lab.

Nan Li, another PhD student on the project, says that it's a big step forward: "Our large-scale models account for every atom involved in the process. This is an example of how we can use advanced computational hardware, such as the GPUs – or graphics processing units – developed for use in videogames, to conduct state-of-the-art scientific simulations."

Manipulating DNA sequences could yet prove to be the next big scientific breakthrough in terms of treatments for genetic disorders and other conditions, making it a fascinating field for anyone interested in the worlds of biology and medicine.

In other news, a German scientist and artist named Diemut Strebe has grown an ear using the DNA of fellow artist, Vincent Van Gogh. Though the post-impressionist painter died more than a century ago, Strebe was able to use genetic material from his brother's great-great-grandson to use in bioengineering the ear.

It's significant because it's a commonly held belief that the artist hacked off his own ear in a fit of depression – although the story has been questioned by many scholars in recent years. Let's hope that this is the last we 'ear of all that!

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