Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Carbon Skeletons01:12

Carbon Skeletons

Life on Earth is carbon-based, as all macromolecules that make up living organisms contain carbon atoms. All organic compounds have a carbon backbone. Each carbon atom is tetravalent and can bond with four other atoms, making it an extraordinarily flexible component of biological molecules. Because carbon’s valence electrons are stable, it rarely becomes an ion. As the carbon chain increases in length, structural modifications such as ring structures, double bonds, and branching side chains...
The DNA Helix01:07

The DNA Helix

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides that wind around each other to form a spring-like structure called a double helix. However, the double helix is not perfectly symmetrical. Instead, there are regularly occurring grooves in the structure. The major groove occurs where the sugar-phosphate backbones are relatively far apart. This space...
The DNA Helix01:16

The DNA Helix

Overview
Protein Organization01:13

Protein Organization

Overview
Protein Organization01:24

Protein Organization

Proteins are polymers of amino acid residues. They are versatile and responsible for different cellular functions, including DNA replication, molecular transport, catalysis, and structural support. Proteins have a hierarchical structure comprising at least three levels of organization: primary, secondary, and tertiary structure. Some large proteins have a quaternary structure where individual protein subunits are linked together.
The primary structure of a protein is its amino acid sequence.
DNA as a Genetic Template02:05

DNA as a Genetic Template

Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Self-assembly of a triple-zwitterion in polar solutions: hierarchical formation of nanostructures.

Soft matter·2026
Same author

Open Air Organophotocatalyzed Ring-Closing Cascade Trifluoromethylation of Dienes inside a Supramolecular Gel.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Binol as a Bioisosteres for Hairpin and Parallel β-pleated Sheet Mimetic Foldamer.

Chemistry, an Asian journal·2026
Same author

Evaluating the leishmanicidal activity of m-Nitrocinnamic acid containing lipophilic peptide against leishmania donovani.

Acta tropica·2025
Same author

In Vitro and In Live-Cell Rapid Hydrazine Detection by Disaggregation of the AIEgen Microstructure.

Chemistry, an Asian journal·2025
Same author

Supramolecular Gel Impede Oxygen Permeation and Foster Air-Sensitive Intermolecular Dearomative [4+2] Cycloaddition of Naphthalenes by Visible Light Energy Transfer Catalysis.

Chemistry, an Asian journal·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids
08:21

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids

Published on: April 13, 2022

Metal-free double helices from abiotic backbones.

Debasish Haldar1, Carsten Schmuck

  • 1Institut für Organische Chemie, Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 2, 45141 Essen, Germany.

Chemical Society Reviews
|January 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Researchers are creating synthetic double helices using self-assembling organic molecules. These biomimetic materials offer structural versatility and potential applications in medicine and materials science.

More Related Videos

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules
09:32

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules

Published on: April 12, 2019

Stability and Structure of Bat Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I with Heterologous β2-Microglobulin
11:17

Stability and Structure of Bat Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I with Heterologous β2-Microglobulin

Published on: March 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids
08:21

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids

Published on: April 13, 2022

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules
09:32

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules

Published on: April 12, 2019

Stability and Structure of Bat Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I with Heterologous β2-Microglobulin
11:17

Stability and Structure of Bat Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I with Heterologous β2-Microglobulin

Published on: March 10, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Biomaterials

Background:

  • Growing interest in biomimetic materials that mimic natural double helical structures like biopolymers.
  • Self-assembly of synthetic organic molecules offers advantages in structural versatility, biocompatibility, and robustness.
  • Non-covalent interactions are crucial for the self-assembly of intertwined strands.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review general guidelines and examples for designing synthetic double helices.
  • To highlight the role of hybridized synthetic foldamers in creating abiotic double helices.
  • To discuss factors controlling duplex formation, including molecular rigidity and non-covalent interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Exploration of various non-covalent interactions: metal-ligand binding, base pair interactions, and peptide stacking.
  • Utilizing hybridized synthetic foldamers for self-assembly.
  • Analyzing the influence of molecular rigidity and intra- vs. intermolecular interactions on intertwining.
  • Considering the dynamic equilibrium between monomer and dimer states.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of metal-free double helices constructed from abiotic backbones.
  • Identification of key factors governing duplex formation: enthalpic gain and entropic loss.
  • Showcasing the utility of synthetic foldamers in achieving desired double helical structures.

Conclusions:

  • Synthetic double helices can be designed through the self-assembly of organic moieties.
  • These abiotic structures hold promise for applications in antigene therapy, evolutionary studies, and conducting materials.
  • The review provides a guide to the principles and examples of synthetic double helix formation.