You can now see your genes.....

[CaNsA]

Fifty-nine years after James Watson and Francis Crick deduced the double-helix structure of DNA, a scientist has captured the first direct photograph of the twisted ladder that props up life.

DNA's double-helix structure is on display for the first time in this electron microscope photograph of a small bundle of DNA strands.
https://i.imgur.com/BmUxy.jpg

A bundle of DNA is supported by two silicon pillars.
https://i.imgur.com/jGYGG.jpg

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50029929/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/dna-directly-photographed-first-time/

[ajag]

I see my genes every time I see my kids... Well at least I hope that I am looking at my genes
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Street Triple

[stinkwheel]

I think that article is incredibly dismissive of the original X-ray diffraction photographs and Rosalind Franklin would be rightly upset. She took the first direct photograph of DNA. Even more so in some ways. It was taken straight onto a piece of film.

"The double-corkscrew form was first discovered using a technique called X-ray crystallography, in which a material's shape is reconstructed based on how X-rays bounce after they collide with it. "

Electron microscopy generates an image of an object based on how electrons bounce after they collide with it.

If you come down to it, normal photography generates an image of an object based on how photons bounce after they collide with it.

So what we're coming down to is same shit, different sub-atomic particle.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[DrDonnyBrago]

The point of that research seems more to do with the technological aspects of being able to generate the image, rather than the image itself. To date anyway.

I fucking love scanning electron micrographs (so much so that every desktop wallpaper I've had for 10 years has been one), but it is very difficult to do and I am shit at it. As such, technologically it is rather impressive but I don't think that the image will be bringing a lot to the field of genetics.

It's not even a single strand of DNA, but I can't tell from the pic if it is supercoiled or if the article should be taken at its word and that it is indeed a bunch of separate DNA strands. It needs a scale on the pic, helical pitch of the alpha helix is about 10.5 bp/3.5 nm so should be doable with a SEM.

[daemonoid]

[Walloper]

I seen mine were dirty this morning so put a clean pair on.



My taxi's here....
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair