Diercks Christian S, Dik David A, Schultz Peter G
Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
These authors contributed equally.
Chem. 2021 Nov 11;7(11):2883-2895. doi: 10.1016/j.chempr.2021.09.014. Epub 2021 Oct 22.
The maturation of chemical synthesis during the 20 century has elevated the discipline from a largely empirical into a rational science. This ability to purposefully craft matter at the molecular level has put chemists in a privileged position to contribute to progress in neighboring natural sciences. Recently, we have witnessed another major advance in the field in which chemists use chemical and biological "synthetic" methods together to alter the structures and properties of biological macromolecules in ways heretofore unimagined. This interdisciplinary approach to synthesis has even allowed us to expand upon the defining characteristics of living organisms at the molecular level. In this perspective, we present a case study for the successful addition of new chemistries to the fundamental processes of the central dogma of molecular biology, exemplified by the expansion of the genetic code.
20世纪化学合成的成熟，使这门学科从很大程度上基于经验的学科提升为一门理性科学。这种在分子水平上有目的地构建物质的能力，使化学家处于有利地位，能够为相邻自然科学的进步做出贡献。最近，我们见证了该领域的又一项重大进展，化学家们共同使用化学和生物“合成”方法，以前所未有的方式改变生物大分子的结构和性质。这种跨学科的合成方法甚至使我们能够在分子水平上拓展生物体的定义特征。从这个角度出发，我们通过遗传密码的扩展这一实例，展示了一个成功地将新化学方法应用于分子生物学中心法则基本过程的案例研究。
