Computer Modeling of the Properties, Interactions and Reactions of Natural and Modified DNA

脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)的独特结构包含了生物体的基因组成，为设计和制造在科学上具有重要应用的创新分子提供了一个有用的模板。事实上，修改后的DNA片段已经被设计用于医学(与DNA中导致疾病的区域结合的药物)、生物技术(用于研究酶的结构和功能的生物探针)和纳米技术(DNA介导的纳米级材料和设备的合成)。尽管有这些有用的应用，但修饰的DNA在细胞内形成时是有害的，细胞内的DNA损伤可能是由于外力(X射线、紫外线)或内部过程(复制错误、脂质过氧化)造成的，并与癌症等疾病有关。

The unique structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which contains the genetic makeup of living organisms, provides a useful template from which to design and build innovative molecules with important applications in science. Indeed, modified DNA pieces have been designed for, and are used in, medicine (drugs that bind to regions in DNA responsible for disease), biotechnology (bioprobes used to study the structure and function of enzymes) and nanotechnology (DNA mediated synthesis of materials and devices on the nanoscale). Despite these useful applications, modified DNA is detrimental when formed within cells, where DNA damage can be formed due to external forces (X-rays, UV light) or internal processes (replication errors, lipid peroxidation) and has been linked to diseases such as cancer.