Triple Helix — Designing a New Molecule of Life

Anti-Globalism sends in this quote from Scientific American about attempts to synthesize molecules that function as well or better than the natural building blocks of life: "A molecule that some researchers study in pursuit of this vision is peptide nucleic acid (PNA), which mimics the information-storing features of DNA and RNA but is built on a proteinlike backbone that is simpler and sturdier than their sugar-phosphate backbones. ... Many studies have demonstrated PNA's suitability for modifying gene expression, mostly in molecular test-tube experiments and in cell cultures. Studies in animals have begun, as has research on ways to transform PNA into drugs that can readily enter a person's cells from the bloodstream. ... Some scientists have suggested that PNAs or a very similar molecule may have formed the basis of an early kind of life at a time before proteins, DNA and RNA had evolved. Perhaps rather than creating novel life, artificial-life researchers will be re-creating our earliest ancestors."

Comments

Sounds like razors

[Daimanta]

Soon we will have the "quatro helix DNA" and then 5 helixes and so on.

Re:Sounds like razors

[sentientbeing]

Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of genetics in this country. The double helix was the DNA strand to own. Then the other guy came out with a 3 HELIX STRAND. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the DNA Turbo. That's three helixes and an aloe strip. For moisture. But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened--the bastards went to four strands. Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling three DNA strands and a strip. Moisture or no, suddenly we're the chumps. Well, fuck it. We're going to five helixes. Sure, we could go to four helixes next, like the competition. That seems like the logical thing to do. After all, three worked out pretty well, and four is the next number after three. So let's play it safe. Let's make a thicker aloe strip and call it the Mach3Super DNA Turbo. Why innovate when we can follow? Oh, I know why: Because we're a business, that's why!

Re:Sounds like razors

[somnolent49]

What part of this don't you understand? If two helixes are good, and three helixes are better, obviously five helixes would make us the best fucking dna that ever existed. Comprende? We didn't claw our way to the top of the dna game by clinging to the two-helix industry standard. We got here by taking chances. Well, five helixes is the biggest chance of all. Here's the report from Engineering. Someone put it in the bathroom: I want to wipe my ass with it. They don't tell me what to inventâ"I tell them. And I'm telling them to stick two more helixes in there. I don't care how. Make the helixes so thin they're invisible. Put some on the RNA. I don't care if they have to cram the fifth Helix in perpendicular to the other four, just do it!

Triple helix... finally

[Junior J. Junior III]

This will be how science finally gets us to 6-asses. I am pre-ordering my 6-assed monkey right now.

But will this really be an improvement? I don't even want to think about how many razor blades will be needed to shave all those asses. They'll probably have to come out with a 12-bladed disposable razor or something...

Wasn't this part of a movie plot?

[fortapocalypse]

In the beginning of The Fifth Element, Leeloo was created from triple-helix-structured nucleic acids. So does this mean the scientists are just trying to create a punk-haired girl? Typical.

Re:Wasn't this part of a movie plot?

[Anonymous Coward]

They are trying to solve genetic problems by going up on dimension. Typical of Mathematicians.

Re:Wasn't this part of a movie plot?

[jackchance]

If they make woman that look like Milla Jovovich, I'm all for it.

Re:PNA Too stable?

[spud603]

Heh, good point. The immortal 'species' are still stuck in the self-reproducing-chemical-chains-in-a-pool-of-hot-mud phase...

Threshold protocol activated

[Lars T.]

nt

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah sugar-phosphate is just too scary. Lets create life based on stuff we aren't made of like lead and mercury.

Way better than fast food?

[thedarkone64]

proteinlike backbone

So they're using Wendy's Hamburgers for this? Sounds delicious

Re:PNA Too stable?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Who wants to live forever?"

Re:PNA Too stable?

[Omestes]

Freddy Mercury?

Re:PNA Too stable?

[Jorophose]

Nwabudike Morgan?

(but even 500 years would be nice)

Re:Er.

[tsa]

So why not dump a whole lot of this newfangled triple helix stuff in the environment and wait a few billion years? Let's see who's the winner then! Will it be DNA or PNA? SMS your prediction to 999-HELIX and win a spaceship!

Re:PNA Too stable?

[pseudopawn]

So lets just put the DNA source code into the PNA compiler. I'm more concerned about living forever than the future evolution of the species.

Great.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just, roaches will never start a nuclear war in the first place.

There, you jinxed it.

Re:Er.

[Anonymous Coward]

PNA might function better than DNA/RNA, but its cost (resources, time to create) is higher and couldn't be afforded by the first organisms.

By your logic humans who wouldn't survive a nuclear war are less efficient than roaches that would survive it.
Just, roaches will never start a nuclear war in the first place.

Ah, so they are better in both ways.