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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2004

version = 4.09 of leftyear2004.txt 2009 Sep 29

Our Story So Far: The story line, if you have not had time to follow the previous 552 or so entries (!) is my slow realization that earth is being invaded by left handed DNA people ...


1. Corning is "Shaping the future of Drug Discovery" by making DNA left handed. First reported on 2004 Jan 29, as of 2004 Jan 29 (Thanks to Ilya Lyakhov for pointing this one out!)
   2004 Feb 9: Corning corrected the image!
   
   
   
2. The newly released Georgia Performance Standards will not only AVOID the word "evolution" (this was retracted on 2004 Feb 5) but will include in their teaching that DNA is left handed, according to Biology Student Work Sample 1 (their copy). First reported on 2004 Jan 30, as of 2004 Jan 30
   
   
   

   Reprinted by permission from Nature 427, 592 - 594 (2004) copyright 2004 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. and Peter Carmeliet.

   
3. Nature (vol 427 12 February 2004 page 593) shows clearly that the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is caused by left handed DNA. First reported on 2004 Feb 17, as of 2004 Feb 17. 2004 Apr 21: Eric Henderson (Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA) published an amusing letter about this case in Nature vol 428, page 695 (15 April 2004).
   
4. Martijn Huynen pointed out "truly a cancerous DNA" at Myc Cancer Gene First reported on 2004 Feb 19, as of 2004 Feb 19 (Thanks to Dr. Martijn A. Huynen, huynen@cmbi.kun.nl for pointing this one out!). 2004 March 10: I removed the image because Dr. Eisenman (eisenman@fhcrc.org) threatened a law suit. However, he has no rights to this image, as Dennis Maeder pointed out that it turns out to be a Microsoft Office clipart image!
   
5. A flier for the AAAS Annual Meeting proposes using left handed DNA for Nanotechnology. No explanation is given. First reported on 2004 Feb 19, as of 2004 Feb 19
   
6. Dennis Maeder points out that "From the purveyors of the fine sequence assembly software phred and phrap comes ... LH DNA!" codoncode First reported on 2004 Feb 20, as of 2004 Feb 20. (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!) 2004 Feb 23: Peter Richterich of CodonCode Corporation explained that this was intentional!

   Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:26:20

   Dear Tom,

   You may use the image, as long as you point out that the use of a left-handed DNA is intentional and not accidental.

   I am rather familiar with DNA structure, having worked on calculating circular dichroism spectra for DNA in A, B, and Z-conformation (Richterich P, Pohl FM, "Calculation of the CD of oligo (dG-dC): influence of basic optical parameters." Biopolymers. 1987 Feb;26(2):231-50).

   I did this work in the laboratory of Prof. Fritz Pohl, who in the 1960s set out to search from left-handed DNA, and discovered the B -> Z transitions of GC-oligomers when going from low salt to high salt (J Mol Biol. 1972 Jun 28;67(3):375-96; Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1986 Jul;83(14):4983-7).

   There are many who credit to Prof. Pohl the fact that the first crystal structure of DNA to be solved was left handed (see, for example, T J Thamann, R C Lord, A H Wang, and A Rich, "The high salt form of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) is left-handed Z-DNA: Raman spectra of crystals and solutions.", Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 October 24; 9 (20): 5443­5457). If I recall correctly, these crystallizations were actually carried out in low-salt and high-salt solutions; however, since the effective salt concentration in the crystals is very high, both solutions gave rise to left handed helices in the crystals.

   I chose a left-handed DNA for our logo in reverence to Prof. Pohl, an outstanding and very original scientist who I worked with during my undergraduate and graduate studies (and who unfortunately died at a young age). I am always interested in how many people notice that the helix in the picture is left-handed - very few people seem to notice it, so congratulations to Dennis Maeder for noticing.

   Best regards,

   Peter
   --
   Peter Richterich, Ph.D.
   CodonCode Corporation
   58 Beech Street
   Dedham, MA 02026
   pr@codoncode.com
   (781) 686-1131 phone
   (781) 407-0807 fax
   

   
   
7. RNA Interference starts by transcribing left handed DNA according to an animated movie produced by the journal Nature Reviews First reported on 2004 Feb 25, as of 2004 March 10 (Thanks to Stan Metzenberg, stan.metzenberg@csun.edu, for pointing this one out!)
   

   (c) 1999 Robert A. Freitas Jr. http://www.rfreitas.com All Rights Reserved

   
8. Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities by Robert A. Freitas Jr. shows that nanotechnology will be done using left handed DNA. This is very wise because left handed living things could always be identified and also they will form a separate ecosystem from normal right handed life forms. Just don't eat them! The ecological consequences, however, could be disasterous. First reported on 2004 March 1, as of 2004 March 10 (Thanks to Dennis L. Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
   2004 March 19. Robert Freitas gave permission for the image, so long as this statement was made:

   Hello, Tom. Thanks to you and Dennis Maeder for noticing that the DNA pictured on the front cover of my book, Nanomedicine, Vol. I (1999) http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMI.htm, is intentionally left-handed rather than right-handed. Your implication that my book recommends employing left-handed DNA to build medical nanodevices, while amusing, is not quite right, since antibodies can recognize both B-DNA and Z-DNA. In fact, all of the nanorobotic devices I've proposed (e.g., respirocytes http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Respirocytes.html, microbivores http://www.rfreitas.com/Nano/Microbivores.htm, etc.) use mostly diamondoid materials in their construction, not DNA.
   
   My technical books make the case that in future years, it will be possible to construct medical nanorobots -- micron-sized mechanical robots built from molecularly-precise nanoscale components. A most important function of these nanorobots will be conducting in vivo cellular repair operations, including operations on individual macromolecules if necessary and even base-by-base repair or manufacture of DNA.
   
   The cover art for Volume I depicts tiny workers manually handling molecular components -- to emphasize that nanorobots will be capable of performing trajectory-constrained positional assembly, not just random-trajectory self-assembly as is customary in biology. The cover art also depicts the construction of Z-DNA rather than B-DNA -- to emphasize that nanorobots will not be restricted to manipulating conventional organic materials but can also build many useful "unnatural" molecular arrangements so long as those new arrangements are chemically stable. You'll also notice that my nanocaduceus logo image http://www.nanomedicine.com/Graphics/NanoMedRS.gif, featured prominently on the cover spine and inside my books and on my websites (and showing right-handed DNA!), depicts two similarly unnatural 7-fingered human hands -- to emphasize that the advent of nanorobotic medicine may allow us easily to modify our natural forms. Apparently these artistic subtleties have been lost on some readers.
   
   Best wishes,
   
   Robert A. Freitas Jr.   http://www.rfreitas.com
   Author, Nanomedicine   http://www.nanomedicine.com
   Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Manufacturing   http://www.imm.org

   
   
9. A Microsoft Office clipart image is responsible for fooling biologists at the Myc Cancer Gene site. First reported on 2004 Mar 2, as of 2004 March 10. 2004 Aug 11: CS 124 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BIOINFORMATICS (Spring 2004) by Vladimir Filkov at UC Davis - the students must have learned left handed DNA bioinformatics all semester. :-( (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at comb1.umbi.umd.edu for pointing this one out! Thanks also to Dylan Cooper, dcooper@coin.org, for the note about CS 124.)
   
10. The National Academies Press annonces a new book, "LEFT HANDED BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH in an age of Terrorism". Clearly it is important to research how to kill off those few remaining pesky right handed DNA people! First reported on 2004 March 10, as of 2004 March 10 (Thanks to an anonymous researcher in Boston for pointing this one out!)
    
11. FOTOSEARCH: stock photography for left handed DNA is now available! First reported on 2004 April 22, as of 2004 April 22 (Thanks to Marlon Hagerty, marlonhagerty@hotmail.com, for pointing this one out!)
    
12. OZbiosciences has a GeneBlaster system that makes expression of your genes very high, but only if they are left handed. First reported on 2004 may 13, as of 2004 may 13 (Thanks to "an anonymous regular" for pointing this one out!)
    
13. Henry Shaw reports:

    Just returned from the American Society for Microbiology annual meeting in New Orlea ns, where I encountered the exhibitor display pictured in the attached image. Gen-Probe makes various molecular genetic assays, primarily for the detection of infectious diseases.
    
    When I called attention to the fact that their DNA "scupture" (which rotates in real life) has the wrong handedness, the nice salepeople staffing the booth seemed less than concerned. They said that the error had been pointed out to them a couple of years ago, but no one else seemed to notice!

    First reported on 2004 June 3, as of 2004 June 3 (Thanks to Henry Shaw, hfshaw at hotmail.com, for pointing this one out!)
    
14. Shown is one of five (5!) left handed DNAs being handed out by (gasp!) my own institution! National Cancer Institute Center for Bioinformatics First reported on 2004 June 17, as of 2004 June 17. 2004 June 19: Another different left handed DNA is at Download Site for Cancer Workbench (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing this one out!)
    
15. Fighting Fraud with Left Handed DNA By Bennett Daviss in The Scientist (Volume 18, Issue 12, 37, Jun. 21, 2004) First reported on 2004 June 23, as of 2004 June 23. (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing this one out!)
    
16. J Craig Venter Science Foundation for Left Handed DNA Research Craig Venter was one of the people who sequenced the left handed human genome. First reported on 2004 June 25, as of 2004 June 25. (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing this one out!)
    
    
17. NOW YOU TOO CAN MAKE LEFT HANDED DNA PRESENTATIONS! VisiScience will provide you with the slides! With their easy ScienceSlides you can easly prepare a talk about the Left Handed Mechanisms of DNA Repair! The small print: Right handed people need not apply. First reported on 2004 July 2, as of 2004 July 2 (Thanks to John S. Garavelli, john.garavelli@ebi.ac.uk for pointing this one out!) 2004 July 6: VisiScience has switched to right handed DNA and the limited time-offer given above is coming to an end!
    
    
18. ABI Advanced Biotechonologies Inc. Three left handed DNAs. advertisement in Science, vol 304, 25 June 2004 page 1094. First reported on 2004 jul 6 as of 2004 jul 6
    
19. Nature volume 429, 24 June 2004, page 796. The journal which announced the structure of DNA now announces the "Computational Biology Supplement" with a large left handed DNA. First reported on 2004 July 8, as of 2004 July 8
    
20. Nature volume 429, 6 May 2004, page iii. BD Biosciences advertises BaculoGold (TM) for expression of left handed DNA moth clones. First reported on 2004 July 9, as of 2004 July 9
    
21. Centro de Biologia Molecular First reported on 2004 July 20, as of 2004 July 20 (Thanks to [anonymous] for pointing this one out!)
    
22. CNN reports that left handed DNA is useful for catching criminals First reported on 2004 Aug 8, as of 2004 Aug 8. I told them about the problem in the morning, by the next evening the image was gone ... (Thanks to Dylan Cooper, dcooper@coin.org, for pointing this one out!)
    
23. A poster inserted into a commercial 'industry rag' contained left handed DNA. The artist refused to allow any mention of their name. I really discourage this! First reported on 2004 Aug 23, as of 2004 Aug 23
    
24. The Olympic Opening DNA presented by ATHENS 2004 was left handed. (another image at ATHENS 2004 does not show the handedness clearly, but does show the spectacular display.) First reported on 2004 Aug 24, as of 2004 Aug 24 (Thanks to Cathy Lawson, lawson@ccbmail.rutgers.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
25. Left Handed Genome Sequencing Center at the Washington University Medical School. First reported on 2004 Aug 27, as of 2004 Aug 27 (Thanks to Ilya Lyakhov, for pointing this one out!)
    
26. www.premierbiosoft.com advertises in Nature (vol 430, 26 August 2004, xiv) left handed DNA primer design. First reported on 2004 Sep 1, as of 2004 Sep 1
    
27. University of Houston, Department of Biology and Biochemistry had a banner "Be a part of Left Handed DNA molecule analysis research." But Dan Graur pointed this one out, saying that the web master was fixing it. Less than a minute after I captured the image from their web site, it was fixed!! First reported on 2004 Sep 23, as of 2004 Sep 23 (Thanks to Dan Graur, dgraur@uh.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
28. Universite Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France. That's Fourier of transform fame. That is not a left-right mirror transform though ... First reported on 2004 Sep 29, as of 2004 Sep 29 (Thanks to Bert Wiest for pointing this one out!)
    
29. Audi in the UK has an advertisement. To see it you will need Flash. Click on Vorsprung durch Technik to reach www.vorsprungdurchtechnik.co.uk. Episode 1 is about Discovering the Left Handed DNA of Audi, a very cool show. First reported on 2004 Oct 7, as of 2004 Oct 7 (Thanks to David Barton for pointing this one out!) Note on permissions: Audi Terms and Conditions state that "Permission is hereby granted to electronically copy and to print in hard copy portions of this web site for the sole purpose of using this web site as an information resource for Audi (UK) products." Contacting Audi requires a UK House Number and Postcode, which I do not have. This notice stands as a request for permission.
    
    
30. The Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms explains how to go FISHing in a left handed DNA genome. First reported on 2004 Oct 11, as of 2004 Oct 11 (Thanks to Ille Gebeshuber, gebeshuber@iap.tuwien.ac.at, for pointing this one out!)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
31. Larry Young creates incredibly elegant sculptures, such as the 32 foot high left handed DNA of Hope for Life and the 26 inch high Genome. Reported in Forged Genome, Genome News Network, 2004 Sep 3. First reported on 2004 Oct 13, as of 2004 Oct 13 (Thanks to Robert Kuhn for pointing this one out!)
    
32. The Understanding Evolution web site has a page on describing the history of Left Handed DNA, the Language of Evolution: Francis Crick & James Watson. First reported on 2004 Oct 13, as of 2004 Oct 13 (Thanks to Heath Hogge, heathtsu02@yahoo.com, for pointing this one out!) 2004 Oct 25: The image was corrected!
    
33. Genetics Education Partnership recommended a Left Handed DNA Model from Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories to teach the kids the new science ... First reported on 2004 Oct 15, as of 2004 Oct 15 (Thanks to Phillip Henderson, pkh16@hotmail.com, for pointing this one out!) 2004 Nov 15: Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing out that the image at Boreal has been fixed, a big to them!
    
34. If (and only if!) you have left handed DNA will DNA Security, Inc provide a paternity test for you. You probably have to go to another company to determine which DNA handedness you have. First reported on 2004 Oct 15, as of 2004 Oct 15 (Thanks to Jessica Watson, jwatson11721@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
35. Synthetic Biology at Berkeley say that they are doing the "Biology for tomorrow. The goal of the Synthetic Biology Department is to design and construct novel organisms and biologically-inspired systems to help us solve problems that cannot be solved using natural systems." Apparently they are building left handed DNA organisms! This is a tough challenge because they will also have to build left handed DNA polymerases and ribosomes from scratch. Also, it will difficult to feed them, as Mr Tompkins discovered in a book by George Gamow when he got reversed. (Does anyone know the exact reference? Please send me urls if you know, thanks.) First reported on 2004 Oct 16, as of 2004 Oct 18 (Thanks to Rob Place for pointing this one out!)
    
36. An illustration of article by Richard Dawkins in Free Inquiry (October/November 2004 - Volume 24, No. 6, 11-12) "Who Owns the Argument from Improbability", shows a hand lacing up a double stranded left handed DNA. First reported on 2004 Oct 25, as of 2004 Oct 25 (Thanks to Carol Smith of Mequon, WI, humanist@ameritech.net, for scanning the image!)
    
37. Penn Arts & Sciences, summer 2002, reports "In Silico Fertilization Information Age Gives Birth to New Knowledge in Biology", showing a left handed DNA. This is the ever-popular PhotoDisc image. First reported on 2004 Oct 28, as of 2004 Nov 3 (Thanks to Ki Cho from Troy University, icho@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
38. Patent laws lag behind the gene age by Anna Salleh ABC Science Online, Friday, 5 March 2004. The Australian Left Handed DNA Law Reform Commission (ALHDLRC, and extension of the Australian Law Reform Commission, ALRC) is finally beginning to look into the implications of patenting left handed DNA humans. First reported on 2004 Oct 28, as of 2004 Nov 3 (Thanks to Ki Cho from Troy University, icho@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
39. LifeHouse Productions Animation of DNA and genetics was broadcast on the Discovery Health Channel as "Breaking the Code: The Race to Uncover the Secret of Left Handed Life". First reported on 2004 Oct 18, as of 2004 Nov 3 (Thanks to Yoon Cho from Troy University, yoonycho@hotmail.com for pointing this one out!)
    
40. KRYON SPEAKS ABOUT YOUR DNA as channeled by Lee Carroll. This person claims that "You Have 12 Strands of left handed DNA". Note that in many humans there are 23 chromosomes for a total of 46 strands. In addition there are a number of circular mitochondrial DNAs. So this report - that left handed DNA people only have 12 strands is quite shocking! First reported on 2004 Oct 22, as of 2004 Nov 3 (Thanks to Lori McAnnally from Troy State University, lmcannally@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
41. What is Left Handed DNA at www.dnahelix.com explains the left handed structure of DNA in a 3 eyed monkey named Paul. First reported on 2004 Nov 1, as of 2004 Nov 3 (Thanks to Lori McAnnally from Troy State University, lmcannally@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
42. Nature (volume 431, 21 October 31, page 907) explains how to eat left handed DNA using a fork in an illustration to a book review by T. Colin Campbell on the book "Why some Like It Hot: Food, Genes and Cultural Diversity" by Gary Paul Nabhan. First reported on 2004 Nov 5, as of 2004 Nov 5
    

    copyright the Raelian Movement

    
43. The Raelian Movement has written a book Yes to Left Handed DNA Human Cloning. One would think we already had enough Left Handed DNA people! First reported on 2004 Nov 8, as of 2004 Nov 8 (Thanks to Simon J. Rhodes for pointing this one out!)
    
44. Ultraviolet Radiation: How it Affects Left Handed DNA on Earth is a new study by the NASA Earth Observatory team that shows how even UV light that is not circularly polarized will break left handed DNA. Even you 'new' folks with Left Handed DNA aren't so fancy that you can avoid the suntan lotion! First reported on 2004 Nov 10, as of 2004 Nov 10 (Thanks to Jessica Watson, jwatson11721@troyst.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
45. RNA-Interferenz: Das Schweigen der Gene Left handed RNA interference is discovered in Germany! First reported on 2004 Nov 10, as of 2004 Nov 12 (Thanks to Frank Deis, deis@niflheim.rutgers.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
46. A web site has been established to explain left handed DNA Stem Cell Information. Perhaps this explains the controversy? First reported on 2004 Nov 13, as of 2004 Nov 13 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!) The image is from the site: Stem Cell Information [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (US); [updated 2004 October; cited 2004 Nov 13]. Available from: http://stemcells.nih.gov
    
47. Smooth Brothers have left handed DNA designs (click on `DNA'). First reported on 2004 Nov 15, as of 2004 Nov 15 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
48. Streitwiser Gallery First reported on 2004 Nov 15, as of 2004 Nov 15 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
49. Vanderbilt chromosome translocations First reported on 2004 Nov 15, as of 2004 Nov 15 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
50. Bioètica: Des de les biotecnologies First reported on 2004 Nov 15, as of 2004 Nov 15 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
51. mitotyping First reported on 2004 Nov 15, as of 2004 Nov 15 (Thanks to Dennis Maeder, maeder at umbi.umd.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    2006 Aug 25: The original link to "http://www.mitotyping.com/dna.htm" is gone. and the big DNA on the page is now correct! Thanks to Terry Melton (CEO of Mitotyping Technologies, LLC) for pointing this out.
    
52. The motto of the Jüelich Research Center in Jülich, Germany is "The Future is Our Mission" and supporting that future is this 2.5 meter high model of left handed DNA in the central library ... First reported on 2004 Nov 30, as of 2004 Nov 30 (Thanks to A. Cherstvy, a.cherstvy@fz-juelich.de, for pointing this one out!)
    
53. Calbiochem Biologics Newsletters issues 30.1 (page 3) and 30.2 (page 15), In this figure a DNA that twists to the right and then switches to the left. Hmm. One of those must be the right way and the other is sinister! Even more confusing, how could the right one be the left one? That's right! This has left me confused. First reported on 2004 Dec 15, as of 2004 Dec 15
    
54. People who have left handed DNA can now uses the services of Family Tree DNA to figure out who is right in family arguments and who should be left in the will. First reported on 2004 Dec 23, as of 2005 Jan 6 (Thanks to Dan Graur, dgraur@uh.edu, for pointing this one out!)
    
55. The Biozon.org database integrates left handed DNA, proteins and pathways. First reported on 2004 Dec 31, as of 2005 Jan 6 (Thanks to b0b kuhn, 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: 2024Aug15_21:49:45