Abstract

Life on Earth, despite its diversity, is restricted to a narrow range of chemical reactions, structures and materials. Although all life relies on DNA and RNA for their chemical information storage, it is now clear that many other synthetic genetic materials (or XNAs) are possible and could functionally substitute DNA . Nevertheless, DNA doesn’t function in isolation,it is supported by a range of DNA binding proteins and nucleic acid processing enzymes – none of which are available for XNA . With a view towards creating aviable XNA episome in vivo, we have focused on the systematic development of XNA processing enzymes, primarily by directed evolution. My talk will present some of this trajectory as well as some of the tools and platforms that we have developed but that have wider applications.