IN AN attempt to go one better than nature, researchers in California are
expanding the genetic code that has given rise to just about every form of life.
They hope to create artificial DNA capable of producing proteins no one has ever
seen before.
Apart from RNA viruses, all organisms carry their genetic information in
strings of DNA built from the same 4 bases, adenine, which pairs with thymine,
and cytosine, which pairs with guanine. These bases are grouped in units of
three called codons, and each codon adds one of 20 naturally occurring amino
acids to protein chains.
Researchers…
