Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks.

We report DNA- and RNA-like systems built from eight nucleotide "letters" (hence the name "hachimoji") that form four orthogonal pairs. These synthetic systems meet the structural requirements needed to support Darwinian evolution, including a polyelectrolyte backbone, predictable thermodynamic stability, and stereoregular building blocks that fit a Schrödinger aperiodic crystal. Measured thermodynamic parameters predict the stability of hachimoji duplexes, allowing hachimoji DNA to increase the information density of natural terran DNA.

Multiplex qPCR assay for identification and differentiation of Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma cajennense, and Amblyomma maculatum (Ixodida: Ixodidae) tick species in the eastern United States.

Many ticks of the genus Amblyomma are vectors of human pathogens, and the correct species identification is medically and epidemiologically important. Morphological identification is time-consuming and requires a high level of expertise. Identification of engorged, immature, or damaged ticks and the differentiation of closely related species remain problematic.

New prediction model for probe specificity in an allele-specific extension reaction for haplotype-specific extraction (HSE) of Y chromosome mixtures.

Allele-specific extension reactions (ASERs) use 3' terminus-specific primers for the selective extension of completely annealed matches by polymerase. The ability of the polymerase to extend non-specific 3' terminal mismatches leads to a failure of the reaction, a process that is only partly understood and predictable, and often requires time-consuming assay design. In our studies we investigated haplotype-specific extraction (HSE) for the separation of male DNA mixtures.

Thermodynamic contributions of single internal rA·dA, rC·dC, rG·dG and rU·dT mismatches in RNA/DNA duplexes.

The thermodynamic contributions of rA·dA, rC·dC, rG·dG and rU·dT single internal mismatches were measured for 54 RNA/DNA duplexes in a 1 M NaCl buffer using UV absorbance thermal denaturation. Thermodynamic parameters were obtained by fitting absorbance versus temperature profiles using the curve-fitting program Meltwin. The weighted average thermodynamic data were fit using singular value decomposition to determine the eight non-unique nearest-neighbor parameters for each internal mismatch.

Nearest-neighbor thermodynamics of deoxyinosine pairs in DNA duplexes.

Nearest-neighbor thermodynamic parameters of the 'universal pairing base' deoxyinosine were determined for the pairs I.C, I.A, I.