Synthetic polymers and their potential as genetic materials

@article{Pinheiro2013SyntheticPA,
  title={Synthetic polymers and their potential as genetic materials},
  author={Vitor B. Pinheiro and David Loakes and Philipp Holliger},
  journal={BioEssays},
  year={2013},
  volume={35}
}
DNA and RNA are the only known natural genetic materials. Systematic modification of each of their chemical building blocks (nucleobase, sugar, and phosphate) has enabled the study of the key properties that make those nucleic acids genetic materials. All three moieties contribute to replication and, significantly, all three moieties can be replaced by synthetic analogs without loss of function. Synthetic nucleic acid polymers capable of storing and propagating information not only expand the… 
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The modifications of DNA with 2'-deoxy-4'-thionucleosides, so-called 4'-thioDNA, were found to act as templates for transcription with RNA polymerases both in vitro and in mammalian cells.
RNA modularity for synthetic biology
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A better understanding and integration of three-dimensional RNA modularity at structural and functional levels is critical to the development of more complex, functional bio-systems and molecular machines for synthetic biology applications.
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