Inspired by Jurassic Park, researchers at MIT have devised a technique for preserving DNA.
Despite being over 30 years old, the Jurassic Park series continues to thrive, with another movie currently in production. While the franchise’s initial debut was in the 90s, much of its science-fiction elements remained purely fictional until recently. A team at MIT has successfully created a way to preserve DNA in a substance similar to amber, drawing inspiration from Jurassic Park.
Preserving DNA can be a laborious task. Currently, many contemporary techniques for preserving DNA require freezing in order to preserve the integrity of the sample and prevent any potential harm or disruption from the surrounding environment. However, not all laboratories have the necessary resources and finances to carry out this process.
A team of researchers at MIT has devised a novel approach to storing DNA by using a “glassy amber-like”polymer instead of freezing it. This polymer allows for storage at room temperature without any harm to the molecules.
If this sounds like something you’ve heard before, it should be expected that the researchers drew inspiration from Jurassic Park. The popular movie from the 90s famously revealed that the DNA of dinosaurs was preserved in fossilized amber, thanks to Mr. DNA.
The impact of Jurassic Park extends beyond its influence on popular culture. According to MIT News, this innovative preservation technique was used to store DNA fragments of varying lengths, including the iconic theme music from the Jurassic Park movie.
In addition, the references to Jurassic Park persist. In the project’s research paper for the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the newly developed method for preserving DNA was dubbed the Thermoset-REinforced Xeropreservation method, or ‘T-REX’.
Despite not having immediate plans to open their dinosaur park, the MIT researchers are continuing their DNA project. They aim to create a method for molding the polymers into capsules.
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