Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a new class of DNA repair enzyme, the journal Nature.

Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered a new class of DNA repair enzyme, according to findings published in the journal Nature.

After originally discovering the structure of DNA, scientists thought that it was a chemically stable blueprint of traits that was difficult to alter. However, in the decades since, scientists have found that the double helix molecule is extremely reactive and subject to damage. Cells must constantly work to repair damaged DNA, and that’s where DNA repair enzymes come in.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” said Brandt Eichman, an associate professor of biological sciences and biochemistry at Vanderbilt and the leader of the research team behind this discovery. “If DNA were too reactive then it wouldn’t be capable of storing genetic information. But, if it were too stable, then it wouldn’t allow organisms to evolve.”

Damaged DNA

DNA can be damaged either by environmental factors like toxins and UV radiation, or by wear and tear as a result of cell processes.