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First observation of the folding of a nucleic acid

By 22 de September de 2010November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 22.09.2010

First observation of the folding of a nucleic acid

Since the elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of DNA (the molecule that carries all genetic information) by Watson and Crick, scientists have strived to decipher the hidden code that determines the evolution of the spatial arrangement of these molecules towards their functional native state. The researchers Modesto Orozco, Life Sciences Director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and responsible of the Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics group at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), and Guillem Portella, postdoctoral researcher of his group, have been able to describe for the first time the folding process of a small DNA hairpin in water and with atomic resolution.

The study havsbeen published in the world’s leading chemistry magazine, Angewandte Chemie, and his results has far-reaching implications not only because it represents a new milestone in the theoretical study of nucleic acids’ folding, but also it is of great importance for the design of new therapeutic strategies based on oligonucleotides. This is the case, e.g., for RNA interference based treatments, which will help to fight complex diseases such as cancer.

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