Article Summary & Supporting Science
The article “Four New DNA Letters Double Life’s Alphabet,” written by Mattew Warren, was published in the “Nature” journal. In this article, the author describes the work of Steven Benner and other scientists who contributed to the improvement in understanding the nature of synthetic DNA bases. The main argument that is highlighted by Warren is that the previously known DNA bases are not unique, which has several implications for understanding life and information storage.
The DNA bases Z, P, S, and B are outlined in this publication. The critical factor is that prior, only four bases were discovered by scientists, “guanine, cytosine, adenine, and thymine, commonly referred to as G, C, A and T,” (Warren 436). Therefore, the scientists were able to create a synthetic DNA with similar properties to the natural DNA, containing eight building blocks. These letters form hydrogen bonds, which is the reason why they form pairs.
Usually, in a DNA with four bases, each element pairs with another, A pairs with T, while C with G. Benner was the first scientist to create different bases, which happened in 1980 (qtd. in Warren 436). An essential factor is that this article suggests that the discovered bases can bind to each other. This means that they hold the double helix and retain their structure, which is a significant discovery.
Due to the fact that this team of scientists was able to adjust the structure of the synthetic pairs, they now can be used in combination with natural bases. The main implication is the data storage capabilities of DNA, which are more significant when comparing four bases to the standard binary method used to retain information within the field of technology. With the eight bases described in this article, the potential for storing data doubles.
Discussion of the Science Content
Since the article is about a breakthrough in the understanding of the DNA’s four bases chemicals, it is difficult to assess its reliability. This publication refers to the breakthrough discovered and published by Hoshika et al. in the article “Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A Genetic System with Eight Building Blocks” and other works by scientists who worked on expanding the capabilities of DNA storage (884). The reviewed article also mentioned the term hachimoji – which translates from Japanese as eight letters and refers to the eight DNA bases.
The notable publications that outline the structure of DNA and its constituents are by Organick et al., Yang et al., and Zhang et al., which provide background and prior research into DNA bases. Hoshika et al. discuss the four nucleotide basis of RNA and DNA and the possibility to add four more synthetic nucleotides (884). Prior to this publication, in 2006, Yang et al. discussed the synthetic biology prospects and outlined the hydrogen bonding pattern (6095).
The implication is that standard bases pairs require two complementarities – size and hydrogen bonding. Organick et al. describe the prospects of data storage and retrieval using synthetic DNA by applying a random access approach (242). This supports the implications of the reviewed article that hachimoji DNA can be used for data storage. Notably, Zhang et al. describe the Z and P nucleotides, which were also cited by Warren in his article (6734). Therefore, prior research supports the implications and conclusions made by Warren in his publication.
The most important discovery about DNA is that it replicates sequences with the structure not falling apart during the process. Prior to this discovery, scientists used X-ray diffraction to prove that synthetic DNA is capable of retaining its structure (Warren 436). The reviewed article suggests that the eight new pairs of nucleotides also retain their structure. Prior research, also cited in the article by Warren discovered the so-called “unnatural” bases Z and P, more specifically, Benner discusses this in his publication (qtd. in Warren 436).
Therefore, the fact that the DNA has a large capacity for storing information becuase it is highly condensed suggests that the reviewed article is scientifically accurate. The future perspectives on data storage using DNA were discussed in other scholarly publications, including articles by Organick et al. focuses on this question (242). Therefore, other research supports the conclusions that other DNA bases exist, supporting the credibility of this article.
Critical Thinking & Analysis
In general, the information presented in the article is intriguing becuase it presents a new outlook on the nature of synthetic DNA. It also provides a complete understanding of the natural DNA bases, suggesting that other bases, beyond the known four, may exist. This challenges the understanding of existing life on Earth and provides implications for improving the existing data storage practices that can help advance the technology and science.
In terms of reliability, this article has several components that suggest that the information presented by the author is trustworthy. This article reports the new findings of scientists, and similar discussions of this breakthrough were published in other newspapers and journals, including the New York Times and Smithsonian. The credentials that the author has included A Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience. Currently, he works as a journalist and news reporter in several scientific journals.
Mattew Warren has published 53 scientific articles in “Nature” discussing different topics. The article was published in the journal “Nature,” which is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes scientific research. Arguably, this is an authoritative source that publishes credible articles, and it is a credible source. The author cites other research articles published in different peer-reviewed journals. Therefore, the reviewed publication is reliable and contains information that reflects the state of research into the topic of synthetic DNA.
The article was written clearly, explaining the critical terms that may be unfamiliar to the general public and referring to the previous research in human genetics, which helps understand the context better. Additionally, its contents are persuasive since Warren refers to other publications on synthetic DNA and provide opinions of scientists working in the field. Hence, “Four New DNA Letters Double Life’s Alphabet” is a well-written scientific article that highlights and important discovery and presents credible information.
The information found in the article “Four New DNA Letters Double Life’s Alphabet” will affect the future of genetics because prior knowledge suggested that DNA is capable of storing information, and this publication highlights the fact that scientists are able to create synthetic DNA, which can be replicated and transcribed. Additionally, this suggests that life forms different from those on Earth exist, which have a structure different from the DNA. Finally, this discovery suggests a new approach for storing data, which is helpful for technology development. Overall, the article discussed in this paper suggests a novel discovery that highlights a new way of viewing DNA and its bases.
Works Cited
Hoshika, Shuichi et al. “Hachimoji DNA And RNA: A Genetic System With Eight Building Blocks.” Science, vol. 363, no. 6429, 2019, pp. 884-887.
Organick, Lee et al. “Random Access in Large-Scale DNA Data Storage.” Nature Biotechnology, vol. 36, 2018, pp. 242–248.
Yang, Zunyi et al. “Artificially Expanded Genetic Information System: A New Base Pair with an Alternative Hydrogen Bonding Pattern.” Nucleic Acids Research, vol. 34, no. 21, 2006, pp. 6095-6101.
Zhang, Liqin et al. “Evolution of Functional Six-Nucleotide DNA.” Journal of American Chemical Society, vol. 137, no. 21, 2015, pp. 6734–6737.
Warren, Mattew. “Four New DNA Letters Double Life’s Alphabet.” Nature, vol. 566, 2019, p. 436.
Double helix 2.0 – hachimoji dna.