The genetic alphabet is made up of only four letters, which represent the four nucleotides, the molecular building units that make up all DNA. Scientists have long wondered if it is conceivable to add new letters to the alphabet by synthesising new nucleotides in the lab, but the utility of this invention is dependent on whether or not cells can recognise and use artificial nucleotides to produce proteins. Researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have moved one step closer to realising the potential of synthetic DNA.
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