Reimagining biocatalysis: Turning DNA phosphates into chiral catalysts

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Chemists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found a new use for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), not just as genetic material, but as a tool for more efficient production of medicinal compounds. Certain parts of DNA, called phosphates, can act like tiny "hands" that guide chemical reactions to selectively produce the desired mirror-image version of a compound.