Step aside, DNA—new synthetic compounds called XNAs can also store and copy genetic information, a new study says.

And, in a "big advancement," these artificial compounds can also be made to evolve in the lab, according to study co-author John Chaput of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. (See "Evolution vs. Intelligent Design: 6 Bones of Contention.")

Nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA are composed of four bases—A, G, C, and T. Attached to the bases are sugars and phosphates. (Get a genetics overview.)

First, researchers made XNA building blocks to six different genetic systems by replacing the natural sugar component of DNA with one of six different polymers, synthetic chemical compounds.

The team—led by Vitor Pinheiro of the U.K.'s Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology—then evolved enzymes, called polymerases, that can make XNA from DNA, and others that can change XNA back into DNA.

Synthetic DNA Created, Evolves on Its Own

BREAST IMPLANTS FOR YOUR TATTOO!!??!!

We want to make an OpenPCR machine capable of copying DNA. We plan to make open source designs and kits so anyone can do PCR at their desktop, garage, hackerspace, or community lab for $400 or less.

OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop — Kickstarter

Every year, modern medical science creates devices that advance the fight against human illness, frailty and mortality, increasing both our quality and quantity of life. These are not those devices. Rather, these 10 items represent a range of medical quackery, ill-conceived inventions and just plain insanity from the past 80 years of healthcare. If you ever see any of them in your doctor's office, seek help elsewhere.

Birthing Centrifuge (1965)
This patent reasoned that one way to make childbirth easier on mothers was to spin them around in a circle while they lie on their backs, allowing the centrifugal force of the rotation to pull the baby out of the birth canal. Safety concerns aside, I have to think that the impracticality of building an adult-sized, self-propelled turntable proved too great to get this product beyond the design stage.

10 Crazy Medical Inventions That (Thankfully) Never Caught On - Medical Assistant Programs

So rather than using the current manufacturing process, where somebody melts metal and pours it into molds and machines those parts together into an electrical component, in the future, we’ll use microbes and proteins to “grow” them. In a cell, a particular genetic coding manufactures a particular kind of protein that it links to build, say, a cell wall. Well, supposing we modify that so rather than building a cell wall, it builds a substrate for an electronic component. It might be a simple modification to say, “OK, build this in a flat area.” Then you have another one that comes in and says “OK, every few microns we have an electronic lead.”

Mars may already be supporting life.

The next step — and this is one that is speculative — is creating synthetic life.

Life on Mars with Pete Worden | h Magazine

Nicholas Kristof
Nicholas Kristof describes the endocrine disruptors in the water that are causing genital malformations in male animals and humans. (05:44)

Nicholas Kristof | July 1, 2009 | ColbertNation.com

Chemists in Japan report development of the world's first DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts. The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized computers, and other high-tech advances, they say. Their study is scheduled for the July 23 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

First DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts

Brain implants are here, and they're making people happy. It'll probably still be a while before you can neurointerface directly with the internet or your friends and lovers, but psychologists are testing implantable brain 'pacemakers' that regulate brain activity and so far appear really useful for treating the most stubborn forms of depression. We reported earlier on the Soletra implant, but there are many more.

Mad Neuroscience: Brain Implants Instead of Prozac

Brain-computer interfaces have been kicking around for a few years now, but they're relatively slow and unwieldy, which kind of puts a damper on world-domination plans -- the guy with the keyboard would probably be well into the missile-launch sequence by the time you've strapped on your dork-helmet. That might be slowly changing, though, as Caltech researchers are working on a robotic brain-computer interface, which can currently be implanted directly into non-human primate brains and move itself around to optimize readings. Although the MEMS-based motor system that actually moves the electrodes is still being developed, the software to do the job is ready to go, and the whole system being presented this week at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Pasadena. Robot-android chimps? Sure, that's just what we need.

Researchers develop robotic brain-computer interface - Engadget

How much would you pay to have a small memory chip implanted in your brain if it guaranteed you would never again forget a face or a name?

I wonder how intellectual property will apply to this

Human memory: memory chip could mean we never forget