XNA
An artificial genetic material called XNA (xeno-nucleic acid) was reported to be capable of replication in the test tube much like real DNA. In an article published in Science, researchers at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology showed that the synthetic XNA fragments can replicate and evolve with desired properties. XNAs maintain the same four-letter nucleobases but with modification to the double helix structure to add properties such as acid resistance. Scientists touted that ‘this brings us one big step closer to artificial life’, since the XNAs are showed to possess the properties of ‘heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life’. At the more near termed future, XNAs could form a new platform for designer drugs and diagnostic tools to treat a variety of diseases.
Read more about this topic: Artificial Gene Synthesis