Additions to DNA’s four-letter alphabet have been announced before, but the new letters don’t always fit comfortably into DNA’s double helix. Even slightly awkward letters can distort DNA’s overall ...

All life on Earth rests on the same foundation: a four-letter genetic alphabet spelling out a repertoire of three-letter words that specify 20 amino acids. These basic building blocks—the components ...

Artificial DNA letters beyond A, T, G, C break a fundamental pairing rule to produce nanostructures with new shapes, far greater durability, and an unexpected ability to self-sort.

DNA sequencing refers to the process of identifying the order of bases in a strand of DNA. DNA is comprised of nucleotides, with each nucleotide consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group and a base.

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing an artificial DNA base pair that is based on a different chemical force than natural genetic material. While the common natural DNA ...