Eight Is Better Than Four

PolITiGenomics points to a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by University of Toyama researchers, who have created the first DNA-like molecule made from entirely artificial bases. The Japanese scientists created four new bases and integrated them into a strand of DNA, resulting in and "unusually stable" structure that was both right-handed and could form into triple-stranded structures, says a release at Science Daily. "The unique chemistry of these structures and their high stability offer unprecedented possibilities for developing new biotech materials and applications," according to the researchers.