MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

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Synthetic enzymes hint at life without DNA or RNA

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Enzymes that don’t exist in nature have been made from genetic material that doesn’t exist in nature either, called XNA, or xeno nucleic acid. New Scientist reports how the breakthrough from Philipp Holliger’s group at the LMB reinforces the possibility that life could evolve without DNA or RNA, the two self-replicating molecules considered indispensible for life on Earth. More…