DNA Ikon Challenged By NZ Scientists

DNA Ikon Challenged By NZ Scientists

Auckland, NZ 11-12-03 -- The ikonic status of "the" Double Helix model for DNA has been challenged anew by scientists of New Zealand, India, and England in the latest issue of Current Science:

http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/contents.htm

An author of one of the new papers, New Zealand biochemist Dr Robert Mann, said in Auckland today "A couple of dozen other structures have been proposed during the half-century since the 1953 model of Watson & Crick. The quasi-totalitarian role of 'the' Double Helix is anti-scientific.

" One of the most interesting models, which we reproduce in our Current Science paper, was invented by the late Dr Gordon Rodley, dean of science at the University of Canterbury. I have found increasing suppression within New Zealand over the past decade of scientific discussion of this improved structure for DNA, so it is pleasing that it is now brought to renewed attention in the scientific world."

Dr Mann said he was particularly glad that Current Science had published yet another DNA structure, proposed by his co-author Clive Delmonte of England.

Dr Mann commented "Once you admit DNA secondary structure varies, discovering the different structures, and the conditions that interchange them, is an alluring vista. I wish I were 30 y younger!"

A further paper discussing yet other DNA structures appears in the same issue of Current Science.

ENDS

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