A NEW MOLECULE OF LIFE?

Peptide nucleic acid, a synthetic hybrid of protein and DNA, could form the basis of a new class of drugs—and of artificial life unlike anything found in nature.

By Peter E. Nielsen.



Picture by Scientific American. Peptide nucleic acid (gold) readily enters DNA's major groove to form triple-stranded and other structures with DNA, allowing it to modify the activity of genes in new ways.


A synthetic molecule called peptide nucleic acid (PNA) combines the information-storage properties of DNA with the chemical stability of a proteinlike backbone.
Drugs based on PNA would achieve therapeutic effects by binding to specific base sequences of DNA or RNA, repressing or promoting the corresponding gene.
Some researchers working to construct artificial life-forms out of mixtures of chemicals are also considering PNA as a useful ingredient for their designs.
PNA-like molecules may have served as primordial genetic material at the origin of life.

Triple Helix: Designing a New Molecule of Life

from the Scientific American

For all the magnificent diversity of life on this planet, ranging from tiny bacteria to majestic blue whales, from sunshine-harvesting plants to mineral-digesting endoliths miles underground, only one kind of “life as we know it” exists.
All these organisms are based on nucleic acids—DNA and RNA—and proteins, working together more or less as described by the so-called central dogma of molecular biology: DNA stores information that is transcribed into RNA, which then serves as a template for producing a protein. The proteins, in turn, serve as important structural elements in tissues and, as enzymes, are the cell’s workhorses.
Yet scientists dream of synthesizing life that is utterly alien to this world—both to better understand the minimum components required for life (as part of the quest to uncover the essence of life and how life originated on earth) and, frankly, to see if they can do it. That is, they hope to put together a novel combination of molecules that can self-organize, metabolize (make use of an energy source), grow, reproduce and evolve…

Britain is warming to the idea of wind energy.

Picture by Vestas


Dip your toe into Welsh waters

We start our journey on the Welsh coast and discover the school of ocean science at Bangor. It's one of the largest schools of its type in the UK, and is generally regarded as the best institute in Europe for physical oceanography. "We are the only institution in the UK with its own research ship, which means the lead time from a conceived experiment to being at sea can be very short," says David Assinder, school administrator. The school focuses on all aspects of oceanography, from the study of collapsing ice shelves in the Antarctic and the mathematical modelling of thermohaline circulation to the discovery of the world's oldest living creature, a 400-year-old clam named Ming.

Grow a green finger in Cornwall

From the north to the far south, we find ourselves in Cornwall - home to the largest greenhouse in the world, the Eden Project. Eden attracts university-level researchers from a variety of disciplines, but with a focus on research of a practical nature, it offers an alternative workspace to your classic academic environment, says Tony Kendle, director of the Eden Foundation.
Graduates with entrepreneurial skills are welcome too, Kendle adds. By looking at the scientific properties of novel crops, Eden researchers can identify what makes a great-tasting food product. With access to hundreds of visitors each day, there's plenty of chance to conduct taste trials on their target market, too...

Break the mould win Sheffield

Next we cross the border and travel north, this time to Sheffield and Manchester, cities that 200 years ago were at the heart of the industrial revolution. Today, chemical and materials sectors prosper in Manchester, while semiconductor technology at the University of Sheffield's centre for nanoscience and technology is some of the most advanced in the world. With average house prices hovering around £150,000 and the price of a pint still under £2, the benefits of living here stretch far beyond the 9 to 5.

Forecast your future in Exeter

A short drive along the coast brings us to Devon, where just 20 minutes outside Exeter is the Met Office's ultra-modern Hadley Centre. For graduates interested in our changing environment, the Hadley Centre constructs some of the most accurate climate models in the world. From software engineers to meteorologists and geologists, there are plenty of opportunities. If you come from a meteorology, physical science or maths background you can also apply for the Met Office's trainee forecaster program.

Tame the waves in Scotland

Driving up to the UK's northern shores, it's clear that our position on the continental shelf offers huge opportunities for taming wave and tidal power, while standing in the path of weather systems such as expiring hurricanes offers valuable wind resources. No wonder we're one of the world leaders in tidal and wave power research, says John Loughhead, director of the UK Energy Research Centre.
Up in the Highlands, you're also only a boat ride away from world-class facilities at the European Marine Research Centre (EMRC) in the Orkney Islands. It can be a logistical nightmare to get cabling and power supplies out to sea. At the EMRC however, scientists side-step this with access to permanent sea-based infrastructure which allows them to "plug" their prototype technology straight into the water.
Scotland also boasts the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh. The birthplace of Dolly the sheep, researchers here benefit from state-of-the-art stem cell technology and a supportive government.
Though it has a reputation for bad weather, Scotland offers incredibly beautiful scenery, imposing architecture and thousands to be saved on the average house price. Along with the Edinburgh Festival and the odd deep-fried chocolate bar, there's more than enough to keep you happy during the occasional spell of rain.

Bet on a future in the City

Enter the capital and you'll find plenty of first-class academic departments to work in. But look deeper into the City - the UK's financial heart and one of the biggest financial centres in the world - and you'll see that scientists can use their skills beyond the walls of the lab. The days of gents in bowler hats picking stocks from the newspaper are long gone; today, the situation is far more complicated. Hedge fund managers now use armies of mathematically minded PhD students to create calculations and algorithms to help them place the right bet. A modern use for science, and the money isn't bad either.

Go for gold in Stratford

With Team GB collecting its biggest medal haul for 100 years and the London 2012 Olympics on the way, New Scientist put on its running shorts to explore some of the opportunities in sports science, which apparently have never been more plentiful. For example, George Simpson, principal scientist at BAE Systems, is heading up a partnership with UK Sport to develop technological solutions to boost athletes' chances. "Science can offer athletes a competitive advantage," he says. The kind of projects the company can help with include a system to more accurately time-track cyclists - based on aerospace technology. It's not just the athletes who benefit, says Simpson. The excitement over the coming Olympics offers scientists exciting new avenues to explore. "Everyone is chomping at the bit to get involved." There's also renewed interest in better ways to detecting illegal substances, not to mention the growth of engineering jobs involved in building top-class sporting venues. Check out http://www.uksport.gov.uk/ for more info.