XNA Nucleic Acid Lab
Design Life Beyond DNA - Build Synthetic Genetic Polymers!
Explore 6 types of XNA backbones (TNA, HNA, LNA, PNA, FANA, CeNA) and design nuclease-resistant synthetic polymers for next-generation therapeutics. Simulate base pairing, measure binding affinity, and discover how 25+ FDA-approved drugs are built from artificial genetic materials.
π€ What Are Xenonucleic Acids (XNA)?
Imagine DNA as the original LEGO set - it's amazing, but limited to certain shapes. XNA is like getting a whole new type of LEGO blocks! Scientists replace the sugar backbone (the part that holds everything together) with synthetic alternatives. The result? Genetic molecules that are invisible to natural enzymes and can survive in the body much longer!
Why does this matter? XNA opens doors to revolutionary applications:
π§ͺ XNAzyme Lab: Target Cancer Mutations
XNAzymes are artificial enzymes made of XNA that can cut specific RNA sequences. The FR6_1 FANAzyme can target cancer mutations with single-nucleotide precision!