World's First Artificial DNA Molecule (Well, Almost) | The Institute for Creation Research

World's First Artificial DNA Molecule (Well, Almost)

Biomimicry is the science of designing machines that follow patterns that can be observed within God's creation. One example of this is the helicopter, which Ukrainian-American aviation pioneer Igor Sikorski designed after a lengthy study of dragonflies. Another case is the cutting-edge, self-cleaning boat coatings modeled on shark skin.1

Recently, biomimicry has been taken to another level: molecular. Japanese chemists have discovered how to mimic DNA.2 Artificial DNA could prove useful, as natural DNA is the most compact information storage medium that is currently known. According to the American Chemical Society, "The researchers used high-tech DNA synthesis equipment to stitch together four entirely new, artificial bases inside of the sugar-based framework of a DNA molecule. This resulted in unusually stable, double-stranded structures resembling natural DNA."3

Of course, like any communication system, there must be a language, a medium to store it, a device that reads it, and an intelligence that writes and interprets it. Therefore, even if artificial DNA could be economically produced, a host of other machines would be required to use it effectively as an information storage medium. In the context of creation thinking, this development underscores the supreme intelligence of the Creator, who was able to cause molecular machines to exist that are so excellently designed that they are worth imitating.

If there is truth in the saying "If it were easy, anybody could do it," then God must not be just anybody. If high-tech equipment is required simply to mimic DNA, then how much more "high tech" must the mind and power of God be for inventing it?

References

  1. Biomimicking Sharks. Biomimickry Institute website, accessed July 8, 2008.
  2. Doi, Y. et al. 2008. Artificial DNA Made Exclusively of Nonnatural C-Nucleosides with Four Types of Nonnatural Bases. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 130 (27): 8762-8768.
  3. American Chemical Society. First DNA Molecule Made Almost Entirely Of Artificial Parts. Science News. Posted on ScienceDaily.com July 7, 2008, accessed July 10, 2008.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer.

Article posted July 17, 2008.

The Latest
NEWS
Living Gyroscope in Flies
The lowly fruit fly (Drosophila) is the research biologist’s friend in fields such as biomedical science, genetics, and developmental biology....

NEWS
Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk Is Now with the Lord
Courageous Christian and creation supporter Charlie Kirk was murdered on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event held at Utah...

NEWS
Deliverance from Fear
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) There are many things in such a world as ours that...

CREATION PODCAST
Can We Build a REAL Jurassic Park?! | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
In 1993, the movie Jurassic Park took the world by storm with its compelling characters, excellent cinematography, industry-altering...

NEWS
Project Artifact: The Spear
DALLAS, TX, September 9, 2025 — It’s finally here! Today marks the official launch of the Institute for Creation Research’s highly...

NEWS
Flood Tsunamis Transported Trees and Amber
A recent study published in Scientific Reports found strange globs of tree resin (amber) mixed within claimed ancient (Cretaceous) deep-water sediments...

NEWS
Secular Paper Admits ''Unreasonable Likelihood'' of Abiogenesis
A recent popular science article begins with the words, “A new study published in July 2025 tackles one of science’s most profound mysteries...

NEWS
September 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What...

ACTS & FACTS
Pervasive Genome Functionality Destroys the Myth of Junk DNA
In 2001, the first rough draft of the human genome was published in a collaborative effort between private industry and the public sector.1,2...

NEWS
Happy Labor Day 2025
“For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:9) Labor Day was...