Niu, JiaHili, RyanLiu, David2015-01-052014Niu, Jia, Ryan Hili, and David R. Liu. 2014. “Enzyme-Free Translation of DNA into Sequence-Defined Synthetic Polymers Structurally Unrelated to Nucleic Acids.” Nature chemistry 5 (4): 282-292. doi:10.1038/nchem.1577. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1577.1755-4330http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13581117The translation of DNA sequences into corresponding biopolymers enables the production, function, and evolution of the macromolecules of life. In contrast, methods to generate sequence-defined synthetic polymers with similar levels of control have remained elusive. Here we report the development of a DNA-templated translation system that enables the enzyme-free translation of DNA templates into sequence-defined synthetic polymers that have no necessary structural relationship with nucleic acids. We demonstrate the efficiency, sequence-specificity, and generality of this translation system by oligomerizing building blocks including polyethylene glycol (PEG), α-(d)-peptides, and β-peptides in a DNA-programmed manner. Sequence-defined synthetic polymers with molecular weights of 26 kDa containing 16 consecutively coupled building blocks and 90 densely functionalized β-amino acid residues were translated from DNA templates using this strategy. We integrated the DNA-templated translation system developed here into a complete cycle of translation, coding sequence replication, template regeneration, and re-translation suitable for the iterated in vitro selection of functional sequence-defined synthetic polymers unrelated in structure to nucleic acids.en-USJournal Article2015-01-0510.1038/nchem.1577