New Synthetic Polymer Matches Rigidity of DNA
January 30, 2013| |
Chemist Alan Rowan at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands reported the properties of a synthetic polymer developed in his lab, which is the first one of its kind and matched the rigidity of many biopolymers such as DNA and collagen.
The strands of the synthetic polymer have helical backbone with thousands of short peptides carrying long tails of repeating carbon and oxygen chains. The nitrogen and hydrogen atoms near the peptides bond to each other, thus contributing to the rigidity of the polymer, and the carbon and oxygen tails attach to water molecule, making the polymer soluble. When the polymer is exposed to heat, it forms into a gel, which is relatively unusual.
Read more about Rowan's research at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-synthetic-polymer-is-first-to-match-rigidity-of-dna-or-collagen.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Scientists Decode 90 Lines of Chickpea Genome
- Farmers in Burkina Faso Get Improved Cowpea Varieties from IITA
- South Africa Ratifies Nagoya Protocol
- Climate Change Likely to Cause Food Production Drop By 30% In Africa
- Ethiopian PM - Africa Needs to Increase Budget for Agriculture
- Scientists Discover Gene Responsible for C4 Photosynthesis
- Researchers Probe Soil Dwelling Bacteria that is Believed to Protect Crops
- Scientists Explain How Salt Impedes Plant Growth
- Study Reveals Epigenome Changes Control Tomato Ripening
- New Biotech Soybean Products Launched in North America
- IRRI Updates on its GM Rice Research
- University of Sydney Scientists Developing Heat Tolerant Crops
- DNA Demo and Biotech Lecture to Students in Bangladesh
- Information Exchange on Biotech Crops in Hanoi University of Agriculture
- Scientists Explain the Mechanism of Plant's Constant Growth
-
Research Highlights
- Lactoferrin-expressing Tobacco Show Improved Phytopathogen Resistance
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- New Synthetic Polymer Matches Rigidity of DNA
-
Announcements
- New Issue of the Biofuels Supplement
- International Conference on Agriculture and Biotechnology
- World Biotechnology Congress 2013
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet