New Letters Added to the Genetic Alphabet Scientists hope that new genetic letters, created in the lab, will endow DNA with new powers. Olena Shmahalo/Quanta MagazineThe two new letters are named P and Z, and fit seamlessly into existing DNA. By: Emily SingerJuly 10, 2015 Comments (14) DNA stores our genetic code in an elegant double helix. But some argue that this elegance is overrated. “DNA as a molecule has many things wrong with it,” said Steven Benner, an organic chemist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Florida.Nearly 30 years ago, Benner sketched out better versions of both...
