Building RNA Circuits (IMAGE)
Caption
NIST researchers aim to turn the cell into a biological computer factory by designing and inserting DNA into a cell's genome. Cell proteins would produce RNA based on the DNA through transcription. The RNA strand would then fold, binding to itself, and split in two, thanks to a special self-cleaving sequence of RNA called a ribozyme. The resulting structure, an RNA circuit gate, would only come undone and trigger further chemical reactions under certain conditions.
Credit
N. Hanacek/NIST
Usage Restrictions
No restrictions.
License
Public Domain