The Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame

- Tom Schneider The Left handed DNA Hall of Fame has moved. Please note the NEW LOCATION: http://www.fred.net/tds/leftdna/

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2000

version = 1.46 of leftyear2000.txt 2013 Oct 12

Our Story So Far: The story line, if you have not had time to follow the previous 235 or so entries (!) is my slow realization that earth is being invaded by left handed DNA people ...


1. Lexgen.com advertisement in Science (7 January 2000, no 5450, p. 37) will bring functional left handed DNA genomics to the internet.
   as of 2000 January 8
   
   
2. An advertisement for the journal MCB on the back cover of the Journal of Bacteriology January 2000, volume 182, Number 2, indicates that a paper on left handed DNA fused to right handed has been accepted. Has there been interbreeding?
   as of 2000 January 11
   
   
3. At the web site http://www.genebrowser.com/ if one clicks on the NTE Vector Core Facility link, one will get a pdf document that has two left handed DNA molecules that the company will routinely make for you. (Thanks to Steve Mitchell, smitchell@urogenesys.com, for pointing this one out!)
   as of 2000 January 17
   
   
4. Endogen advertisement in Nature (13 January 2000, no 6766, p. xi). This is a clone of an earlier DNA image which has been cultured by the PhotoDisc company.
   as of 2000 January 18
   
   
5. Mergen Ltd advertisement in Nature (13 January 2000, no 6766, p. 142). This is another clone of an earlier DNA image which has been cultured by the PhotoDisc company. Is it taking off exponentially? Three of Photodisk's images are now left handed, two are right handed although they were alerted to this problem by me a year ago.
   as of 2000 January 18
   
   
6. An Introduction to Molecular Epidemiology of left handed DNA people is now available on the web. The Molecular Epidemiology Homepage promotes this field.
   as of 2000 January 26
   (Thanks to Andrew Farkas, af@alumni.princeton.edu for pointing this one out!)
   
7. Custom left handed DNA made to order! Now available from Life Technologies.
   as of 2000 January 28
   (Thanks to Steve Mitchell, smitchell@urogenesys.com, for pointing this one out!)
   
   
   
8. Maybe Left Handed DNA Causes AIDS? Is this the thesis of a speculative article in ABC News by Nicholas Regush.
   as of 2000 January 31
   (Thanks to David Lloyd-Jones, icomm5@netcom.ca for pointing this one out!)
   
   
9. The upcoming movie "Let there be life - Mission to Mars" from Touchstone Pictures has some footage of left handed DNA on Mars. Have we found the source?
   as of 2000 February 12
   2000 April 10: Steve Ward (sward@UMDNJ.EDU) saw the movie and points out that "Every example they used was left handed - both the M&Ms and the computer generated model." At one point one person says "That DNA looks human." when viewing a left handed spiral no more than 10 bases long. DUMB!!!! WARNING, SPOILER: Actually, the Martians seeded earth with right handed DNA, then left because Mars was dying. This is consistant with them coming back now to take over. They must have messed up somehow when they seeded Earth! Or maybe it was a nifty trick to identify and eliminate native flora?
   
   
10. The Seventh Edition of An Introduction to Genetic Analysis by Anthony F. Griffiths, Jeffrey H. Miller, David T. Suzuki, Richard C. Lewontin, and William M. Gelbart (2000) cover shows a Drosophila melanogaster flying along with a left handed spiral of DNA trailing it. This book will get students ready for left handed genetics. The Fifth Edition also shows a mouse on the cover with right-handed DNA going in the right ear and left-handed DNA coming out the left ear. as of 2000 February 15 (Thanks to Irwin Tessman, itessman@purdue.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
11. Left handed DNA is found on the cover of the Winter 1999 Oberlin Alumni Magazine and three times (of four) in the article from pages 14 to 18 by Peter Gwynne and illustrations by Curtis Parker. The article announces "How [Left Handed] DNA can change your life" and "The Code of [Left Handed] Life" ... as of 2000 February 25
    
    
12. The 2000 cover of the Leinco Technologies product catalog has left handed DNA. as of 2000 February 25 (Thanks to Steven Ward, sward@UMDNJ.EDU, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
13. In Nature volume 403 24 February 2000 page iii Novagen reports the discovery that left handed DNA was known in ancient times: "A New Twist on a Classic" as of 2000 February 29
    
    
    
14. In the same issue of Nature (volume 403: 24 February 2000 page 831) Pierce shows that both right and left handed DNA can be isolated by cell lysis as of 2000 February 29
    
    
    
15. In the February 15, 2000 issue of Genetic Engineering (volume 20: No. 4) is an advertisement on page 8 by Burdick & Jackson "which clearly shows how Left Handed DNA is synthesized. The blueprint shows R -> R+R but the structure shows how the actual reaction goes R -> R + L. Apparently the leading strand is left handed...I had no idea!!" says David Rhodes. as of 2000 March 17 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
16. In the web site of Genetic Engineering is a lovely rotating left handed DNA as of 2000 March 17
    
    
    
17. In U.S. News & World Report, March 27, 2000, page 60 Stephen Rountree shows that there was a sharp sell-off of stocks for biotechnology companies that handle left handed DNA. as of 2000 April 6
    
    
    
18. A Beckman Coulter advertisement in Science (31 March 2000, no 5462, p. 2447) reports the discovery that the "far-reaching flexibility" of left handed DNA helps nucleic acid preparation. (I have to admit I don't understand this at the molecular level.)
    as of 2000 April 6
    
    
    
19. In the March 15, 2000 issue of Genetic Engineering (volume 20: No. 6) is an advertisement on page 79 from ISIS Pharmaceuticals showing the antisense inhibition of left handed DNA as of 2000 April 7 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
20. The 2000 April 10 cover of the Newsweek shows a man embedded in a left handed DNA. They have almost completed the entire human genome sequence for a left handed DNA person! When will they get around to the last three of us who are right handed? as of 2000 April 8 (Thanks to Donna M. Fox, dfox1@gmu.edu for pointing this one out! Her letter to Newsweek appears in the 2000apr22 edition! [Unfortunately they broke the link.]) as of 2001 May 1: In addition to Newsweek, Joseph Hutchins of JH Models granted permission to put the image here and acknowledged the reversal.
    
    
21. Celera, which claims to have sequenced an entire left handed DNA human genome, is now offering positions in sequencing left handed DNA. as of 2000 April 25
    
    
22. The new book Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley (Harpercollins; ISBN: 0060194979) describes in detail genes on the chromosomes of the left handed DNA people who are replacing us old right handed DNA humans. Surprisingly both species have the same number of chromosomes. Dr. Gilbert says about this book that "[i]t's a great book, wish I had it earlier in life so that I could explain to people what I do for a living."

    NOTE [2013 oct 12]: the inner cover page shows the image on the newer paperback version

    (Thanks to William A. Gilbert, Gilbert@Informagen.com for pointing this one out!) as of 2000 April 26
    
    
23. The 2000/2001 Apoptosis catalog from R&D Systems has a very pretty stained glass DNA. There are 3 copies of left handed cases and one right handed; all seem also to have some kind of non-twisted distortion. (Thanks to David Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu for pointing this one out!) as of 2000 May 1
    
    
24. Gene silencing apparently functions by the formation of left handed double stranded RNA, according to a recent Nature (vol 404, 20 April 2000, page 807). as of 2000 May 1
    
    
25. According to a figure in Nature (vol 404, 27 April 2000, page 932) perhaps 1 out of 3 people in the world now have left handed DNA. as of 2000 May 4
    
    
26. An advertisement by Eppendorf Scientific in Science (vol 288, 12 May 2000, page 946) shows that one can do PCR on left handed DNA. as of 2000 May 17
    
    
27. An advertisement by Qiagen in Science (vol 288, 12 May 2000, page 958) shows that one can do RT-PCR on left handed RNA. as of 2000 May 17
    
    
28. The front cover of the New York Times (May 7, 2000) reports next to a picture of a left handed DNA that "End in Sight in Genome Race"! This is very bad news for those few of us left who have right handed DNA!
    as of 2000 May 17 (Thanks to Andrew Farkas, af@alumni.princeton.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
29. "Cellular & Developmental Biology", a new catalogue from Oxford University Press, is now available for those who are interested in the effects of left handed DNA at the higher levels of organization.
    as of 2000 May 17 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
30. Pharmaceutical Laboratory, an industry magazine has an advertisement for left handed DNA Fisher BioReagents.
    as of 2000 May 17 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
31. The Discovery Channel has decided to run a quiz about Left Handed DNA. This is a clone of an earlier DNA image which has been cultured by the PhotoDisc company. See the Endogen entry earlier this year. The PhotoDisc version of left handed DNA has an unparalleled niche and continues to grow. Will it eventually be the dominant life form? Are we witnessing competition between left handed DNA forms now that there are only a few (I dare not reveal how many) right handed DNA organisms left?
    as of 2000 May 30 (Thanks to Gerard R Lazo, lazo@pw.usda.gov, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
32. Repair of lesions in left handed DNA is being determined according to Nature (vol 405, 25 May 2000, page 416). as of 2000 June 1
    
    
33. Two articles in Nature (vol 405, 15 June 2000) report:
    • on page 821: that gene function can be understood with left handed DNA.
    • on page 824: how the yeast two-hybrid system works with left handed DNA.
    as of 2000 June 10
    
    
34. In Nature "A double-take on nature's helix" (vol 405, 15 June 2000, page 737) reports a spectacular discovery:

    "The striking symmetry of the X-ray crystallograph of DNA prepared by Rosalind Franklin was one of the last clues that led Watson and Crick to deduce the left-handed double-helical structure of DNA."

    Oh my! How could I have missed that? as of 2000 June 15. UPDATE: Colin Porter (colin@icr.ac.uk, url) wrote a letter to Nature (406, 234, 2000 July 20) pointing out this situation. Nature replied that they will be more vigilant in the future and pointed to this web site. as of 2000 June 23. (Thanks to Shu-Kun Lin, lin@mdpi.org, editor of Entropy for pointing the letter out!)
    
    
35. The flyer for the 2000 Current Topics in Gene Expression Systems Meeting in San Diego, sponsored by Invitrogen, shows two left handed DNA molecules with people for the rungs. as of 2000 June 27 (Thanks to Ilya Lyakhov, lyakhovi@ncifcrf.gov, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
36. As reported in Cell Volume 101, Number 7, June 23, 2000, Stratagene now has a way of shrinking people so small that you can jam a DNA molecule into a cell by hand. It works for either right or left handed DNA. Be sure to wear gloves, goggles not required. (Note: the image on the web site is too small to see, but it is clearly left handed in the journal "figure".) as of 2000 July 10
    
    
37. On Tuesday June 27, 2000 The New York Times announced on their front page that the entire sequence of a left handed DNA person has been completed! Since right handed people are being exterminated there are no plans for doing their sequence. However, to molify and coddle those few who are "left", they reported the next day (Wednesday, June 28, 2000 on page A2) that this was in error. as of 2000 July 12 (Thanks to Jack Tessman, jack@silcon.com, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
38. Wow! We made it to the cover of Cell! Volume 101, Number 7, June 23, 2000. as of 2000 July 12
    
    
39. In the 2000 July issue Scientific American the major companies involved in Left handed DNA sequencing and the genomics business are reported (page 54) and the major players in Left handed bioinformatics are reported on page 60. This is big business! as of 2000 July 11 (Thanks to Donna M. Fox, DFOX1@wpgate.gmu.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
40. An advertisement flyer by ICN presents isolation solutions for left handed DNA. as of 2000 July 12
    
    
41. Creation's Seventh Day by Robert F. Service (Science July 14, 2000: 208 and 235) reports on how people are trying to insert unusual amino acids into protein by altering left handed tRNAs or left handed DNA. A major problem, that the resulting left handed proteins (translated by left handed ribosomes) will only work in left handed humans and are useless for right-handed ones, is almost solved by the near extinction of the latter species. as of 2000 July 23 (Thanks to Barbara MacGregor, bmacgreg@mpi-bremen.de for pointing this one out!)
    
    
42. Quantum Biotech produces left handed DNA products as featured on their main web page, all of their sub-pages their 2000-2001 catalogue cover and all sections of their catalogue and alternating pages of their catalogue ... as of 2000 July 23. 2001 May 23. The company web site is now at www.qbiogene.com. (Thanks to Shu Ouyang, ouyangs@ncifcrf.gov, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
43. Der Spiegel (15/2000, page 172) published an article "MENSCHEN NACH MASS" literally "HUMANS AFTER MEASURE", I suppose meaning the "Measure of Man" - left handed DNA man that is, since behind the da Vinci but young modern human is a left handed DNA. as of 2000 July 23 Nigel E. A. Crompton, nigel.crompton@psi.ch points out:

    Your literal translation is of course correct but the actual meaning is not "measure of man". The phrase "nach Mass" means "as you choose to have or design something". Perhaps a more appropriate way to translate the phrase would be "Artificial contructrion of Man".

    as of 2000 July 28
    
    
44. As reported on page 1871 of Science (9 June 2000, 288: 5472) Lexicon is defining gene function for drug discovery in left handed humans, mice and watches. as of 2000 July 25 (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, jpms@ira.cinvestav.mx, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
45. As reported on page 20 of Science (7 July 2000, 289: 5476) Beckman Coulter is sequencing left handed DNA, check marks, clocks and chess pieces. as of 2000 July 25
    
    
46. The New York Times OP-ED Wednesday July 19, 2000, page A29, show a person behind the bars of a left handed DNA running horizontally across the page, as drawn by Milan Trenc. Entitled "Genes that Let Illness In", by Jerome Groopman of Harvard, the story mentions "the pernicious seeds ... presumed to be present in the blueprint of the person's DNA ..." Those of remaining few of you with right handed DNA had better join the underground now, otherwise jail is what is in store for you, ... or worse? as of 2000 July 25 (Thanks to Jack Tessman, jack@silcon.com, for pointing this one out!)
    
    

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    July to Nov material to be added here I have yet to catch up on cases reported from 2000 July through 2000 Nov
    
47. The cover of the Cruachem catalogue (presumably 2000) shows a lovely left handed DNA rising from a synthesis vat. as of 2000 July 27 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Jan A. Witkowski, witkowsk@cshl.org, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
48. ABC News reports: "First Draft of Human Genome Is Complete", World News Tonight, Date: 06-26-2000, Correspondent: Ned Potter. The entire sequence of a left handed DNA person has been completed! Frank Deis says: "If you can't see it well enough they will actually show you the program over the website. The ladder rotates over the head of Ned Potter as he talks about the genome." as of 2000 Aug 1 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Frank Deis, deis@rci.rutgers.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
49. ABC News reports: "Scientists Complete Drafts of Human Genome", Nightline, Date: 06-26-2000, Correspondent: Robert Krulwich. as of 2000 Aug 1 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Frank Deis, deis@rci.rutgers.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
50. SciQuest shows a left handed DNA as of 2000 Aug 10 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to an anonymous correspondent for pointing this one out!)
    
    
51. An advertisement by Infectio Diagnostic Inc shows left and right handed DNA. See the similar report by GMP Genetics, below. as of 2000 Aug 11 (added 2000 Dec 15)
    
    
52. A Fisher Scientific flyer shows a blue backboned left-handed DNA. as of 2000 Aug 21 (added 2000 Dec 15)
    
    
53. As reported in Science (20 Oct 2000, vol 290(5491) p. 444) Remaking Eden: How Genetic Engineering and Cloning Will Transform the American Family by Lee M. Silver. In other words, the gig is nearly up for you if you still have right handed DNA!! as of 2000 Aug 21 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to W. Steven Ward, wward@hawaii.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
54. The UCLA Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology home page has a pretty left handed DNA. They will investigate the cause of the image and have it fixed. as of 2000 Aug 23 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to W. Steven Ward, wward@hawaii.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
55. The cover of Genome Research (volume 10 issue 8, August 24) indicates that great apes now are found to have 50% left handed DNA. as of 2000 Aug 24 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Lior Pachter, lpachter@math.berkeley.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
56. The cover of the Geneka catalogue 2000 shows a left handed DNA (as reported in the 25 August 2000 Science, vol 289, no 5483, p. 1268) as of 2000 Aug 25 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Jack Tessman, jack@silcon.com, for pointing this one out!) (Permission would have been granted except that they have paid to use the left handed twist exclusively.)
    
    
57. A new book The Triple Helix : Gene, Organism, and Environment by Richard C. Lewontin (Harvard Univ. Press; ISBN: 0674001591) shows conclusively that hippos and rhinoceroses have left handed DNA. as of 2000 Aug 30 (added 2000 Dec 22) (Thanks to David Lloyd-Jones, icomm5@attcanada.ca, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
58. In a featured news article in the 14 July 2000 issue (number 5477), Science on pages 208 and 235 "Creations Seventh Day", the images were reversed apparently because of a problem with tiff file formats. A correction was reported in Science 2000 289: 1474. as of 2000 Aug 31 (added 2000 Dec 27) (Thanks to Irwin Tessman, itessman@purdue.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
59. A Fisher Scientific advertisement shows a left handed DNA, but the boxes they are selling have right handed helices! (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 405) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to our new secret agent Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
60. A Transgenomic advertisement shows a left handed DNA (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 479) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
61. A Digital Instruments advertisement shows that surprisingly their AFM can see left handed DNA! (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 497) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
62. Another Quantum Biotechnologies advertisement again shows the left handed DNA on their cover (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 509). They did not pull the advertisement since last July. as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
63. A Wiley advertisement shows a novel form of DNA that is simultaneously left and right handed, as the backbone splits and passes through itself (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 585) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
64. A Boekel Scientific advertisement shows a left handed DNA (as reported in the September 2000 BioTechniques, vol 29, no 3, p. 607) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)
    
    
65. Is the fall NIH Research Festival again (!) pushing left handed DNA? It is hard to tell, but perhaps ... as of 2000 Sep 20 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Scott Young, scott@codon.nih.gov, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
    
66. An advertising supplement by Peter Gwynne (as reported in the 11 August 2000 Science, vol 289, no 5481, p. 1003) reports opportunities at the graduate level for research on left handed DNA. as of 2000 Sep 27 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, jpms@ira.cinvestav.mx for pointing this one out!)
    
    
67. An advertisement flyer by Applied Biosystems shows left handed DNA. as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15)
    
    
68. An advertisement by Sequenom in the 6 October 2000 Science (vol 290, no 5489, p. 42) shows left handed DNA behind a young boy clone. "The Complete Genomics Solution is Here". (The home page relies entirely on Flash, so if you don't have flash you will see nothing!) as of 2000 Sep 12 (added 2000 Dec 15)
    
    
69. The Public Health Genetics Unit in Cambridge UK is not involved in left handed DNA gene therapy but is monitoring developments. (This gene therapy is where a right handed DNA person is converted to left handed DNA by cloning as in the movie "The 6th Day"; I do not know how disposal of your original body is handled.) as of 2000 Oct 4. Dr. Alison Stewart plans to correct the icon. as of 2002 Sep 4: FLASH NEWS! After two years of painstaking effort, Alison Stewart has succeeded in altering the logo!

    "At last I have succeeded in changing our left-handed logo (see website). ... [They will have] a revised logo when we ran out of our current batch of letterhead paper. It was a very large batch. But hooray! - at last we have joined the ranks of the helically correct. "

    (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, jpms@ira.cinvestav.mx, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
70. Richard Egel reports on a new book by Hartwell et al. Genetics from Genes To Genomes: The cover is OK, at least (in contrast to Griffith's 7th edition, which you caught already). Inside, all the thick-ribbon illustrations, too, are right-handed throughout. The simple line drawings, however, if they actually show a twist, are left-handed at an amazing frequency.

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    p2:fig.P.1, p.144:chpt.5-vignette; p.159:fig.5.15; p.160:fig.5.16; p.162:fig.5.17-a; p.168:fig.5.20(some); p.189:fig.B(some); p.242:fig.B; p.469:fig.13.7; p.477:fig.13.14; p.572:fig.16.13+16.14; p.592:fig.17.2; p.597:fig.17.12-a; p.609:fig.17.23-a; p.648:fig.18.13-a-b.

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    Fig.5.20-c, in particular, gives 6 "examples" for pairs of sister chromatids containing containing DNA molecules of either handedness. While investigating this case I came across the image of the cover of the CD ROM which depicts a nice purple left handed DNA (shown). as of 2000 Oct 6 (added 2000 Dec 15). While not allowing the image to be posted here, Jean Sims Fornango of McGraw-Hill Higher Ed pointed out that they had caught the error and will be correcting it. (Update 2001 Jan 16: Corrections are in progress ) Richard Egel, richard.egel@molbio.ku.dk, (Thanks to for pointing this one out!)
    
    
71. Enzo Biochem develops left handed DNA probes, will diagnose people with left handed DNA (right handed people are no longer eligible) and develops left handed genetic medicines to combat diseases. as of 2000 Oct 6 (added 2000 Dec 27) (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, jpms@ira.cinvestav.mx, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
72. Researcher in Residence is a cool program, run by the Association for Science Education (UK), in which (left handed DNA) PhD students work with teachers and pupils in schools. as of 2000 Oct 10 (added 2000 Dec 15) (Thanks to Dean Madden, dean@madden.tele2.co.uk, for pointing this one out!) 2002 Aug 31: I received a note from Steve Wooding who says:

    I was intrigued by your 'Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame' and amused to see that the Wellcome Trust features by proxy: we are a co-funder of the Researchers in Residence initiative that features at number 72. However, things have moved on and the scheme is no longer run by the ASE and is now run by the Sheffield Hallam Department of Science Education, it also has a new logo. While I have no problem with you continuing to display the old logo along with the description, I'd appreciate it if you could put a note that the organisation running the scheme has changed and include a link to the new scheme (http://www.researchersinresidence.org), just in case one of our students is reading your page and is interested in getting involved.
    
    Steve
    
    Dr Steven Wooding - Partnerships Project Manager
    The Wellcome Trust - http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
    210 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
    Telephone: +44 (0)20 7611 8850
    Fax: +44 (0)20 7611 8269
    

73. Maggie Fox of Reuters reported on October 12 that the left handed DNA mouse genome was almost mapped. For this great 'nearly' event (we can have as many of these as we want!), MSNBC put together a cute moving graphic to demonstrate how DNA sequencing is "almost" done. They called it MappingDNA. Unfortunately you will need Flash on your computer to see it. as of 2000 Oct 13 (added 2000 Dec 27) (Thanks to David Lloyd-Jones, icomm5@netcom.ca for pointing this one out!) The image was captured in 2001.
    
    

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74. As reported in Science (20 Oct 2000, vol 290 (5491) p. 444) GMP Genetics, Inc. has demonstrated that there exist diploids that have one DNA strand left handed and the other right handed. Apparently the creatures live! The image that demonstrates this is in their PDF Brochure The same image was reported earlier by Infectio. as of 2000 Nov 1
    
    
75. Pfizer is looking for exceptional left handed DNA people (Science, 13 Oct 2000, vol 290(5490) p. 361). as of 2000 Nov 1
    
    
76. Hiperciencia has a rotating left handed DNA, but you have to have Shockwave-Flash to see it. as of 2000 Nov 1 (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, jpms@ira.cinvestav.mx, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
77. In Nature (02 November 2000, 408: 46) new details of regulation by left handed DNA are reported, three separate cases of left-handed images are shown. as of 2000 Nov 3 (Thanks to Dieter Naf, dnaf@informatics.jax.org. for pointing this one out!) The image is reprinted by permission from Nature 408:46 copyright 2000 Macmillan Magazines Ltd.
    
78. In advertising the book Genome the book club QPB asked "Are you ready to hold your future in your hands?" while showing a woman with a left handed DNA. Clearly if you have right handed DNA you are in trouble. as of 2000 Nov 4
    
    
79. Celera shows a left handed DNA on their main page. (This is a shockwave display and so may not display, or will display extremely slowly, on your browser.) Another case appears as background on their press release page. as of 2000 Nov 6 (Thanks to Lior Pachter, lpachter@math.berkeley.edu for pointing this one out!)
    
    
80. Abola et al., Nature Structural Biology 7 (November 2000, Structural Genomics Supplement), 973-977. There's a left-handed dsDNA in Figure 1. as of 2000 Nov 6 (Thanks to Dieter Naf, Ph.D., The Jackson Laboratory, dnaf@informatics.jax.org for pointing this one out!)
    
    
81. The Chemical & Engineering News "(July 31, 200) featured on its cover and page 31 a left handed CPK (!) molecule on an article on Proteomics--From Genes to Proteins. The error was highlighted by Christopher J. Welch of Merck, Rahway, NJ. Your website was mentioned." The correction is Aug 14, 2000 CEN p. 8. as of 2000 Nov 28 (Thanks to Yock Chai Toong, yctoong@tm.net.my for pointing this one out!)
    
    
82. The journal Chemistry in Britain "did the same on its front cover, back cover and on page 46 of the May 2000 issue. The error was pointed out by J.D. Dunitz and E. Hibronner of Switzerland in a letter to editor on July 2000. It is not surprising that Dunitz could spot the error for he is a very well known X-ray crystallographer." as of 2000 Nov 28 (Thanks to Yock Chai Toong, yctoong@tm.net.my for pointing this one out!)
    
    
83. The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists web site had a left DNA handed banner:
    
    but David Rhodes told them about it and within 5.5 hours they had corrected it!
    
    (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, d.g.rhodes@uconn.edu, for pointing this one out!) as of 2000 Dec 1
    
    
84. In addition to the three left handed DNA images already noted, surprisingly there are three more cases of similar left-handed images on page 37 for a total of 6 images in Nature 408 (2000)! as of 2000 Dec 1
    
    
85. The cover of the Harvard Bioscience Solutions for Proteomics and Genomics Molecular Biology 2000/2001 catalogue has a main left handed DNA and in the background both left and right handed DNA. as of 2000 Dec 11 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, d.g.rhodes@uconn.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
86. The University at Albany, State University of New York Genomics Center apparently is celebrating the official opening of a Left Handed DNA center as of 2000 Dec 11 (Thanks to an anonomyous donor for pointing this one out!)
    
    
87. The left handed 'dna48.gif' that previously appeared last year at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Biology and Biotechnology Research Program web page and subsequently disappeared, has reappeared at the The UCSC Center for Biomolecular Science & Engineering! (The two files are exactly identical.) as of 2000 Dec 14 (Thanks to Ronnie Hunag, jch@stag.gov.tw, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
88. "New media for the new biology" announces GenomeWeb. The new media are indicated by a left handed DNA in the background and a left handed spiral over their name. It is nearly 2001, after all, and it is reported that 99% of H. sapiens now have left handed DNA. Note that the manditory deadline for substitution by your reverse clone is approaching, on January 20 of 2001. as of 2000 Dec 15. (Note on 2001 Jan 24: I have learned that they will be fixing their web site .) (Thanks to William Gilbert, gilbert@Informagen.com, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
89. Steve Ward reports: I just returned from Cell Biology where I saw two left handed DNAs at booths of companies and both of them knew it. One was apologetic and promised to change it, so I promised her I would not report it. The other company knew it, and even had a three dimensional space filling model of left handed B-DNA that was intentional! The problem was that the logo was originally a short, left handed helix that looked vaguely like DNA, so to have the transformation from the logo to the 3D model, the 3D model had to be reversed! Their website (http://www.biosearchtech.com/) does not have the 3D model, but the left handed logo is there. Biosearch Technologies provides chemistries for left handed DNA genomics. as of 2000 Dec 15 (Thanks to W. Steven Ward, wward@hawaii.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
90. The MIT Technology Review in an article Medicine Gets Personal, by Marc Wortman (January/February 2001, page 76) reports a method of detecting left handed SNP DNA. as of 2000 Dec 17
    
    
91. Biotechnology at Rensselaer covers a number of life sciences involved with left handed DNA. as of 2000 Dec 18 (Thanks to an anonomyous donor for pointing this one out!)
    
    
92. Promega has a very pretty free wall chart that demonstrates how cell signalling is controlled by left handed DNA. as of 2000 Dec 20 (Thanks to Torben Kallesoe, Torben.Kallesoe@sars.uib.no, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
93. The Pharmacopeia Software Newsletter, Winter 2000, reports that people can now use the GCG software package for analysis of left handed DNA (two images of people with left handed DNA and computer terminals). as of 2000 Dec 27
    
    
94. An advertisment for WebMD (found while constructing the MSNBC Left handed mouse report) shows an intriguing left handed DNA running like blood vessels up a right handed arm. This is a depiction of the process of clone-converting (cloneverting) you from left to right handed DNA. as of 2000 Dec 27
    
    
95. In an advertisement for CNRS (Nature, 21/28 December 2000, volume 408, no. 6815, Recruitment section, page 3) a left handed DNA spirals out of a high tech mixture. as of 2001 Jan 8
    
    
96. As noted in Science (volume 289, page 2369, 29 September 2000) the cover of the AAAS report Human Inheritable Genetic Modificiations shows that left handed DNA is inheritable. (Right handed DNA is not because we are becomming extinct.) as of 2001 Jan 8
    
    
97. In BioPharm (January 2000 page 4) Honeywell Burdick& Jackson show how an orange right handed DNA will become both right and left handed at replication. as of 2001 March 23 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu, for pointing this one out)
    

For your first visit to the Left Handed Hall of Fame page I suggest that you follow the story over all of the years. After that you can look at each year individually from the table below. Note: just because a year has gone by does not mean we haven't found more examples for that year!

1997 and 1998 were bumper crop years
and 1999 beat them more than 2 fold. 2000 was a record year, thanks to help from friends around the world (60 of the 97 cases, 63%!). 2001 exceeded even that record! 2002 was lower - are we making headway?

Tom Schneider.

updated: 2023Sep20_18:45:31