Origami with DNA

T-cells are an important component of our immune system: with the receptors they carry on their surface, they can recognize highly specific antigens. Upon detection of an intruder, an immune response is triggered. It is still ...

Molecular forces: The surprising stretching behavior of DNA

When large forces act on a heavy beam, for example, in bridge construction, the beam will be slightly deformed. Calculating the relationship between forces, internal stresses and deformations is one of the standard tasks ...

Building with DNA

Life on Earth developed from inanimate components. Can we recreate this process in the laboratory, and what tools do we need for this? Using DNA origami, the art of folding at a scale of just a few millionths of a millimetre, ...

Stitching together the structure of the DNA replication toolbelt

The molecular machinery responsible for replicating human DNA has come into sharper focus and deepened understanding of this fundamental biological process and how it can malfunction. An international team led by researchers ...

'Semi-synthetic' bacteria churn out unnatural proteins

Synthetic biologists seek to create new life with forms and functions not seen in nature. Although scientists are a long way from making a completely artificial life form, they have made semi-synthetic organisms that have ...

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